


Mother Knows Best

by elarielf



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Fix-It, Fridging Should Be A Narrative Sin, Gen, Post-Thor: The Dark World, Wordcount: 10.000-30.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-18
Updated: 2015-02-01
Packaged: 2018-03-08 00:33:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 28,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3189113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elarielf/pseuds/elarielf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Frigga had always wanted to tell Loki what he was. Odin had wanted to wait. Frigga had never approved of Thor's arrogance. Odin had considered it forgivable in a charismatic prince. Frigga had always been a good wife and bowed to her husband's wishes.</p><p>That hadn't worked out well for her. One son plagued by self-doubt, the other turning into a hardened criminal, and a husband quickly losing control over a life they had carefully built together. Something had to give.</p><p>Odin wanted Loki imprisoned and isolated, left to rot in Asgard's prison with no hope of release, an apt lesson for trying to save Midgard from freedom. Frigga didn't agree.</p><p>And she was done just sitting by quietly and letting things happen when she knew better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Active Wife, Queen, and Allmother

“This is a bad idea, mother.”

Frigga smiled at Thor, a new smile that Thor had never seen before. In it, he saw Loki’s mischief, Odin’s determination, and Thor’s own pain reflected. “This is the _only_ idea, Thor. Your father has forbidden me from seeing Loki to punish your brother, but also as an admonishment to me. Therefore, I have run out of options.”

“I know, and I… Loki’s punishment is deserved and righteous, of that I am sure. But I can’t continue to see you so sad.” Thor couldn’t meet his mother’s eyes, his expression troubled. “Is there no other way?”

“Your father’s too clever to leave any other openings,” Frigga said. “We’re forced to take what little he offers.” She pushed Thor forward, no more than a gentle pressure against the small of Thor’s back, but more than enough to make him move. “Go on, now.”

Thor took a deep breath and held his head high as he walked into his father’s throne room, every inch the returning hero. “Allfather.” He bowed low.

“Thor.” There was no smile on Odin’s face, but he looked pleased nonetheless. “The trolls in Vanaheim, they are overcome?”

“Easily, father,” Thor said, taking comfort in the usual boasts before starting on his mother’s plan. “But there was evidence that they weren’t just launching a random attack.” Odin looked interested. “As you know, with the bifröst broken, many of the creatures Asgard protected the lesser Realms from have returned en force. At first, there didn’t seem to be a pattern, but the more attacks we fended off, the more it looked like…” And now the lie. “…the more it looked like Loki’s work.”

Odin’s expression immediately changed from interested to cloudy, and his grip on his spear tightened. “Loki? And how has he managed that from his cell?”

Thor shrugged helplessly. Frigga hadn’t gone over that part of the lie with him. “Perhaps he arranged it before I captured him on Midgard?” Odin didn’t look convinced. Thor didn’t blame him. “We do know that he wasn’t working alone, father. He must have gotten that army of Chitauri from somewhere, after all, and all evidence does point to Loki’s machinations behind these newest attacks.”

As expected, Odin took Thor’s word at face value, even if he clearly wasn’t completely swayed. “Then I shall get the truth from him, however difficult that might be.”

“Might I accompany you?” Thor asked. “I’m curious to see how he’ll react to these charges myself.”

Odin nodded. Thor was fairly certain that the fact that he had brought Loki to Asgard in chains and then completely ignored his brother from that point on was a mark in his favour in Odin’s eyes. Frigga had demanded leniency for her youngest son, but in doing so had demonstrated that she cared for him still. Thor had shown only apathy, at least since Loki’s return from Midgard, which was far more trustworthy.

It was almost enough to make Thor feel shame for deceiving his father. But remembering Frigga’s tear-streaked cheeks eyes when he had come to her after his fight in Vanaheim was enough incentive for Thor to continue on.

As Odin led Thor to the dungeons Thor tried his best, somewhat ironically, to think like Loki. The same deceptive craftiness that had gotten his little brother in so much trouble was what Thor needed now. He could feel his stomach churning; he wasn’t suited for this.

Odin stopped before Loki’s cell, and Thor looked upon his brother for the first time since leaving him in the guards’ hands at the bifröst. Loki looked surprisingly well. His wounds had long since healed and his face looked much fuller, his eyes less sunken. Thor hadn’t thought about it at the time, but Loki had looked exhausted and almost ill when they’d fought on Midgard. Apparently captivity suited him better than attempting to conquer minor Realms. And certainly Thor couldn’t fault his accommodations. Loki had a cell to himself, with a well-appointed bed, a reading chair and ottoman, and a small dining table. There wasn’t much room, but then again, Loki’s actions had cost thousands of lives, so Thor couldn’t feel too much pity for him.

And, truly, he looked quite well now, even if the smile that graced his face as the Allfather and Thor approached was twisted and bitter. “Guests! How delightful. I’m sure you bring the Allmother’s regrets.”

“Frigga regrets a great deal,” Odin said. “But I won’t have her regretting this.” With a wave of his hand, he dispelled the barrier between Loki and himself, and stepped into the cell. “Thor has told me something quite disturbing.”

Loki’s smile faltered when Odin crossed the threshold but, to his credit, he didn’t step back. “This isn’t about his mortal, is it?” Loki asked, with his usual snide tone. “It may be distasteful, but it’s not _quite_ beastiality.”

“It’s far more serious. He has–” Odin cut himself off at the sound of the barrier going back up. He half turned towards Thor, keeping Loki still in sight. “Thor?”

“I’m so sorry, father,” Thor said in a rush, desperate to cleanse the lies in an admission of truth. “I promised mother.”

“You what?”

Loki laughed. “My, what a twist.”

Without turning, Odin sent a flare of power at Loki, blasting him through his sitting chair and across the cell. “Explain yourself, Thor.”

“She is _grieving_ , father,” Thor said. “And not just over Loki.”

Loki snorted, not quite getting up again. “It’s never _just_ over Loki.”

“Shut up,” Thor snapped, before turning back to his father. “She grieves for the Nine Realms, reeling after the destruction of the bifröst; for Midgard after the damage Loki caused; for our family, torn apart; and for you. She grieves for the just, honourable man she married.”

“You dare?” Odin demanded, slamming his spear into the ground. Thor wasn’t entirely sure the barrier could hold up against the power of the Allfather and _Gungnir_ , but Frigga had assured him that Odin wouldn’t risk releasing the other prisoners just to escape his wayward son’s company.

Thor set his jaw. “I promised that I would do anything to help ease her pain. And this is what she asked of me.”

“Oh, brava,” Loki breathed, with genuine appreciation on his face. “It’s impressive, getting the oh-so-noble Thor to _knowingly_ lie for you, almost as impressive as you managing to get so far before blowing it.”

Thor ignored him. “Half an hour, mother said. I’m sorry, but she’s insisted on keeping you two alone together for half an hour. And then I’ll come back and open the cell again.”

“Don’t be surprised if you only find my corpse,” Loki said lightly, but Thor wasn’t looking at him. He was looking at his father, hoping to see some sign that Odin had noticed Frigga’s pain and Thor’s ambivalence over this. But Odin’s expression, never easy to read, was completely closed to Thor.

“Go, then, and tell Frigga that we will discuss this later.”

Oddly enough, Loki didn’t have anything to say to that. Thor managed a smile, still somewhat sick to his stomach over his deception, and bowed deeply to Odin. He left, but not before stealing another glance at his brother.

Despite having been blasted across the room, and clearly intimidated by Odin, Loki looked much better than he had when Thor had seen him on Midgard. _Much_ better. Thor stamped down the hope that rose in his chest at the thought that perhaps Loki could recover from this and return to Thor’s side. Loki had had multiple chances and thrown them all away. This would be no different.

But the stupid, thickheaded, oafish optimism that Thor could no more deny than he could deny his great love couldn’t help but make Thor think that maybe…

He shook his head, trying to clear it, before entering his mother’s chambers.

Frigga offered him a smile as he closed the door behind him and invited him to sit by her with a welcoming gesture. Thor took his seat and looking into the large oval mirror that sat before them, showing them a warped reflection of themselves, and then a clearer picture of Odin and Loki.

“Can we hear them too?” Thor asked.

Frigga waved her hand. “We can now.”

They settled in to watch.

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

At first, Loki though Odin meant to wait Frigga out. Not that he had a problem with that plan, as he’d told the Allfather when he’d been brought to him in chains, it wasn’t that he didn’t love their little chats, it was just that…

Well. Love wasn’t really something Loki was sure he could feel anymore.

So silence until the half-hour was up was fine with Loki. And yet, he couldn’t keep himself from prodding.

“I wonder if the half-hour started when Thor first tricked you into entering this cell, or at the time he left.” An unfortunate thought occurred to him. “Or perhaps it will only start with the start of a,” he wrinkled his nose in distaste, “ _conversation_ with you.”

“Frigga is an honourable woman,” Odin said.

Loki shrugged. “But Thor’s not the greatest listener. He may have forgotten to mention a few items out of pure thoughtlessness. Wouldn’t be the first time.”

Odin snorted. “Such bitterness that occasionally you were overlooked, your skills perhaps maligned. As if any of that was the root of your sick mind.”

“No, we both know what the _root_ of my sickness is,” Loki said. “Or is it a sickness when it’s simply in my nature? Can you blame a snake for hissing or a cat from stalking its prey?”

“I have known and fought against Frost Giants for centuries before your birth,” Odin said. “They have their flaws, but their nature isn’t backstabbing and trickery. That’s all you, Loki.”

Loki laughed, and it sounded brittle even to himself. “Ah, sing the praises of the noble Jotnar! Funnily enough, I never heard anything but the darkest of tales about them as a child.”

“Children’s tales aren’t something you should rely on. You were _supposed_ to be the learned one, the rational one. I’d expect you to know more about any subject than what you learned on your nanny’s knee.”

“I was supposed to be?” Loki snapped. “You mean you had expectations of the Frost Giant runt you stole from Jötunheim, other than using me to… what did you say? ‘Ensure the peace’?”

“Clearly a plan doomed to failure as you seek out bloodshed and war even more avidly than your brother.”

Loki laughed, and this time it was much brighter. “My brother?” Odin momentarily looked like he regretted that, and Loki pounced on the opening. “How could Thor _Odinson_ be my brother when I am, as Your Majesty has so clearly stated, a _Laufeyson_? My, my… what a mystery that seems.”

“If it was offered, would you take up the mantle of Thor’s brotherhood?” Odin retorted. “Or acknowledge Frigga as your mother, even just to soothe her pain?” He huffed. “Would you accept my name again, Loki, as filled with bitterness and malice as you are, and accept your role as Thor’s shadow?” Loki felt his jaw twitch with the effort of not clenching hard enough to audibly grind his teeth. Odin shook his head. “Imprisoned and with the blood of innocents drenching your hands, you still have so much pride that being Asgard’s _second_ prince is distasteful to you.”

Desperate to deny something, Loki latched onto the only part of Odin’s scolding he could argue. “They were just mortals. They had at best a century of life left anyway.”

The look Odin shot Loki was only half disgust. Loki could have accepted that. But the other half was pity, and _that_ was intolerable.

“And what do you know, anyway?” Loki snapped. “I visited Jötunheim before Thor’s coronation, and I found an entire Realm gutted and broken, an empty husk compared to any other Realm. And I know, from my _learned_ reading, that it was not always so. If Frost Giants are such _noble_ creatures, how can you justify what you did to them?” He laughed maliciously. “Or what Bor did to the Dark Elves? Genocide is an option, just not to me, is that it?”

“Bor didn’t act lightly,” Odin said. “The Dark Elves threatened the entire Nine Realms with the Aether. Whom did Jötunheim threaten?”

“We were at war. Because of Thor, I might add.”

“Then go to war!” Odin roared. “ _Fight_ , with honour and with valour. Perhaps I would have taken exception to that, perhaps I would have scolded you for your impatience, but at least you wouldn’t be branded a coward for attempting to wipe a people out at no cost to yourself.”

“No cost?” Loki asked, his voice shaking. It didn’t seem to matter how hard he tried to convince himself that Odin was nothing to him, when the Allfather roared, every instinct in Loki’s body screamed at him to _kneel_. “You named me Laufeyson, so you should know that I made myself a patricide to save your life.”

Odin shook his head. “After you threatened it. And your mother’s.”

Loki ignored that. “And what if I’d just hesitated. Just… a moment. Laufey had you completely at his mercy, you know. If he’d killed you, I’d have been even more justified in turning the bifröst onto Jötunheim. Thor might have even joined in, once he stopped sobbing over your useless corpse.”

“This is pointless.”

“ _You’re_ pointless! All your power and wisdom and still you created a monster.” Loki laughed. “Do they know? Does Asgard know that one of their princes is actually a beast? Or have you kept that hidden, another secret to avoid any shame on the name of Odin and the throne of Asgard.”

“They know you’re a traitor and a murderer,” Odin said. “They know about the Chitauri and Thanos.” Loki flinched. “They know you’ve tried to kill Thor three times and failed three times, and that he forgave you for that three times.”

“Magnanimous bastard,” Loki muttered.

Odin sighed. “You have exactly one ally in Asgard, Loki. And she locked you in a cell with me, so she may not be as reliable an ally as you might have thought.”

“I still think it’s worth it, just for the expression on your face when Thor lured you in here.” Loki snorted, sounding something like his old self. “I must say, for all my sins, I’ve never been played by Thor. That’s a very special category of people you’ve joined, Allfather.”

Odin looked slightly rueful. “You won’t be able to fool him again, Loki. He doesn’t think himself clever enough to outthink you, so he can only choose between trusting you completely or not at all.”

Loki shrugged. “I don’t want his trust. I haven’t wanted his trust since you sent him down to Midgard and stripped him of what made him great. You couldn’t tolerate the competition, so you broke him down until he was nothing more than a pale reflection of what he could have been. Congratulations, Odin Allfather. You will be remembered as the greatest king of Asgard, because you hobbled your heir.” He snorted. “Forgive me if I have no intention of allowing you to do the same to me.”

“You truly believe that,” Odin said, shaking his head. “What a twisted mind you have, Loki.”

“I come by it honestly.”

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

Frigga sighed. “That… could have gone worse.”

“They’re talking at cross-purposes,” Thor protested. “Neither of them is really listening to the other.”

“Yes, but they’re both still alive and intact,” Frigga said. “There’s that at least.”

Thor watched the mirror, his brother and father still clearly reflected in it, both of them very apparently done with the other and just waiting out their sentence. Nothing had changed; Loki hadn’t taken any responsibility for his actions, or shown any remorse, and Odin hadn’t relented on Loki’s sentence or offered him any chance at redemption that wasn’t mocking.

Frigga patted Thor’s leg. “There, there. These things take time. Your father and brother are both prideful and stubborn creatures. That’s why it’s up to us to make them see sense.”

Thor winced. “Father said he’d have words with you once he’s out.”

“I’m sure he will,” Frigga said serenely. “For now, though, I think they’re done. Be a dear and let them out, hmm?”

“Yes, mother,” Thor said, rising obediently. He had no doubt his father would have words for him as well, but he was more than willing to suffer whatever tongue lashing Odin was planning to unleash on him if it meant that Frigga would smile more.

Still, this had been excruciatingly stressful. And right after the battle on Vanaheim, no less. Thor deserved a reward.

He decided to go to Heimdall and indulge in finding out how Jane was doing. That always cheered him up, in a slightly depressing way.


	2. The Prodigal Son

The bifröst was as beautiful and magnificent as Thor had remembered from his childhood. Truly, the repairs had gone well, and faster than expected, thanks to the Tesseract. It was a good thing, as Thor and his friends had needed to dash from Realm to Realm to quell the odd troll or goblin or kraken attack. Not just beautiful, but as functional as ever as well.

Almost as if Thor had never destroyed it.

No doubt seeing Loki for the first time in months had brought back these morose thoughts. Thor shook them off as he entered the observatory, trying not to seem too eager.

“You’re late,” Heimdall said without even bothering to turn around.

Thor froze, wondering if that was an indictment of how he’d handled his father and Loki. Not that Heimdall would be wrong to pass judgement on that betrayal, just that he never had in the past. Heimdall was as near a perfect example of disinterested as Thor had ever known; seeing everything for millennia, nothing surprised him and, as long as it didn’t put Asgard in danger, he was as discreet and impartial a creature as could be.

For Heimdall to chide Thor’s actions was truly a sign that he had crossed a line.

Heimdall finally turned, and there was no judgement in his golden, starry eyes. “But delays in service of our queen are noble delays indeed.”

Thor relaxed. Nothing was wrong. “How fare the Nine Realms?”

“The convergence approaches,” Heimdall said. “The Realms are getting into position to align, as they do every five thousand years. This will be the first of my watch, and it is already magnificent.” He looked out into the stars. “Few can sense it and, at this point, even fewer can see it. And while its effects can be dangerous, it is truly beautiful.”

For a moment, Thor envied Heimdall. His tireless watch was surely a burden, but it brought with it great rewards. “I see nothing.”

“Well, perhaps that is not the beauty you seek,” Heimdall intoned solemnly, and Thor knew he was being teased.

He laughed ruefully, but didn’t deny it. His sole purpose here was to enquire about Jane, as entertaining and enlightening it was to speak with Heimdall. “How it she?”

“She is clever,” Heimdall said, obliquely answering Thor’s question. “She doesn’t know it yet, but she studies the convergence as well. Even–” He cut himself off, and his brow furrowed in sudden concern.

“What?” Thor asked, terrified that something had happened to Jane while he’d been dealing with Loki.

Heimdall’s words were not reassuring. “I can’t see her.”

For a moment, Thor couldn’t understand what Heimdall was saying and what it meant. Even once he did, he immediately retreated into denial. “What do you mean? You see all.”

Heimdall shook his head. “There are places hidden even from my sight. Not many, and not lightly, but they exist.”

“Where did you last see her?” Thor demanded. “When?”

The vague look in Heimdall’s eyes as he tried to remember was as frightening as his words. “Hours ago. On Midgard.”

“Send me there,” Thor ordered, and Heimdall didn’t hesitate to draw his sword, clearly intending to follow that order before stopping.

“She’s back.”

Thor wasn’t sure he could take much more of this. “How? From where?”

Heimdall just shook his head. “Go to her, protect her. Until we know what happened, she must be kept safe.”

Thor’s heart leapt; finally something he could do that he _wanted_ to do. He missed Jane. Hearing about her discoveries and efforts to contact or replicate the bifröst was not the same as holding her in his arms, hearing her voice, breathing in her scent.

“If I must,” Thor said, unable to stop himself from grinning. He’d been to most of the Nine Realms since capturing Loki, keeping the peace and safety of his peoples intact. But to return to Midgard had seemed an impossible dream, and now it was being offered to him, as a duty rather than as a boon.

Heimdall seemed to understand that, but he still seemed dour over having lost Jane for a few hours. “Be careful, My Prince.”

“I will,” Thor promised. Anything to get back to Midgard. Back to Jane. Heimdall nodded and Thor took his position.

The bifröst was much more subtle than it had been before it had broken. Thor landed on Midgard, in the middle of a strange courtyard in a New-York-like city, in plain sight of several of the Midgardian guards he’d been told were more properly called ‘policemen’ (he still wasn’t sure how to address the women in the same uniforms) and no one noticed.

He hadn’t honestly realized how worried he’d been until he saw Jane, conversing in a lively manner with her companion, Darcy. A knot Thor hadn’t even noticed forming undid itself at the sight of her, at the sound of her voice, at the vigorous enthusiasm she showed still.

He hadn’t meant to open the skies with his relief at finding her alive and clearly hale, with his remorse at not being with her before her disappearance, with the simple regret that he hadn’t been back to see her since their rushed parting. But Midgard was a most responsive Realm, and his grief and joy poured from the clouds, pelting the odd courtyard in which he’d found himself with a gentle but incessant rain.

Save, of course, for himself and his lady.

Thor barely even noticed, however, because that was when their eyes met, and he saw the mirror image of his own emotions swirling turbulently in Jane’s lovely eyes. She looked stunned to see him, and Thor could sympathize. He’d had reports from Heimdall every day since the bifröst broke, but it was entirely different seeing Jane in person. He smiled and went to her, eager to hold her once again in his arms.

“Jane–”

She slapped him. It wasn’t particularly hard, and she had projected the blow with plenty of time for Thor to duck, but the surprise of it caused it both to land and to sting far more than Thor had expected.

“Sorry,” Jane said, looking just as surprised at her actions as Thor had been. “I just needed to make sure you were real. It’s been a very strange day.”

Ah. Well, whatever made her feel better. “I am real. Jane, I–”

Jane slapped him again, putting more force behind it this time. “Where were you?”

“Where were _you_?” Thor asked, getting to the point as it seemed no embracing would be forthcoming. “Heimdall could not see you.”

“I was right here where you left me. I was waiting, and then I was crying, and then I went out looking for you… You said you were coming back!”

Clearly, Jane knew nothing of where she’d been. Thor attempted to placate her with an explanation, and she forgave him far more easily than he felt he deserved. Two years wasn’t nothing, not even to an Asgardian. And while Thor would have sooner plucked out his own eyes than expose Jane to his insane brother’s machinations, he knew he should have at least contacted her while on Midgard. Primitive though they might be, Midgardians had multiple means of long-distance communication.

But he hadn’t. And, perhaps, he was paying the price now. There were few who knew Jane’s importance to Thor – Loki, Heimdall, Thor’s parents, Sif and the Warriors Three – and of those, only Loki, currently trapped and impotent inside Asgard’s prison, meant her any ill. And yet, albeit only for a few hours, Jane had escaped Heimdall’s gaze.

If that wasn’t about Thor, what else could it be?

He wanted to take Jane to Asgard. It wasn’t enough to keep her safe, he needed answers, and he wasn’t likely to get them on Midgard. Thor was about to broach the subject with Jane when one of the policemen laid his hand on Jane’s arm. Before Thor could act, a burst of power, malevolent and mindlessly destructive, burst forth from Jane, clearly without her will. The choice was out of Thor’s hands now – Jane had apparently been altered, and by nothing of Midgard. This wasn’t for Thor’s curiosity or Heimdall’s concern or even Jane’s safety any longer. It was about the security of the entire Nine Realms.

Thor rushed to Jane’s side and ensured she was unharmed. The policemen drew their puny weapons and Thor felt mostly insulted. There was chaos for a brief moment, and Thor decided he had no interest in dealing with any of these pointless creatures. He pulled Jane close. “Hold on.”

“What are you doing?” Jane asked, but clung back in clear trust.

Thor didn’t answer, but only looked up, knowing Heimdall was watching. This time the bifröst was much showier, as if Heimdall was reminding the mortals not to toy with gods. Thor didn’t mind one bit.

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

Jane took to the Healing Rooms with more curiosity than fear, despite the fact that Thor was asking her to trust him that no harm would come to her. Eir clearly felt this was beneath her and was somewhat less than her usual kind self as Jane asked question after question, soon turning slightly wry herself at the healer’s unhelpful answers.

Thor was hopeful that they would find something, but so far nothing the healers had found was reassuring. Not only did they not know what the energy was, the only thing they could tell was that it was harming Jane, to the point that it would eventually end her life.

When his father walked in, Thor perked up hopefully. The healers were skilled, but there wasn’t a wiser man alive than the Allfather. But Odin took no time to defuse Thor’s hope.

“My words are mere noises to you that you ignore them completely?”

“She’s ill,” Thor retorted, a little hurt. This wasn’t a romantic gesture, not by far, and to minimize it by pretending this was sentimental rather than practical did both of them a disservice. “I brought her here so we could help her.”

Odin paced around Jane’s sick bed, ignoring the irregularities in the Soulforge that Eir was using to try to figure out her ailment. “She does not belong here in Asgard any more than a goat belongs at a banquet table.” He ignored Jane completely, in fact, a subtle insult that Jane clearly didn’t miss.

“Did he just…” She turned to Odin, breaking the Soulforge’s spell. “Who do you think you are?”

Odin faced her for the first time. “I am Odin. King of Asgard. Protector of the Nine Realms.”

Jane looked intimidated by that, and fairly enough. “Oh. Well I’m…”

“I know very well who you are. Jane Foster.”

When Jane turned to Thor, she had a smile for him. “You told your dad about me?”

This wasn’t the time. “Something’s within her father. Something I have not seen.”

“Her world has its healers, they’re called doctors, let them deal with it,” Odin said, instantly dismissing Thor’s concerns as pointless. Thor wondered if his previous deception over Loki had soured his father’s regard for him. It was unfortunate that Jane was taking the brunt of it. Odin turned from Thor, clearly dismissing him. “Guards! Take her back to Midgard!”

They were moving before Thor could warn them, and as soon as they touched Jane they were thrown back and Jane fell back. Thor went to her side and cradled her head. “Jane, are you alright?”

As Thor had hoped for when he first saw his father, Odin came over to Jane and wordlessly ran his hand over her, about a finger’s breadth from her skin, which glowed with red sparkling lights. “It’s impossible.” Odin sounded stunned.

Eir looked concerned as well. “The infection, it’s defending her?”

Thor shook his head. “No. It’s defending _itself_.”

“Come with me,” Odin ordered, and led Thor and Jane to the library. As they walked though the Hall of Science, past where Yggdrasil blossomed into Asgard itself, Thor felt his hopes rise again. In his youth, he had steadfastly denied that books and studies that looked only to the past could be of any use in directing Asgard’s future. He no longer believed that, and was eager to hear his father’s wisdom.

Instead, Odin wove a children’s tale that Thor had heard often at his mother’s skirts, curled up with Loki, both of them tired after a long day of the mischief and mayhem that they both so delighted in. But Odin’s tale was far harsher, less heroic, and less hopeful.

He spoke of the Dark Elves, exterminated by his father, King Bor. He spoke of the Aether, a powerful relic that the elves had nearly used to destroy the entire universe, or at least the local ‘Nine Realms’ part of it. He said that this Aether was now in Jane, feeding off her life force. He said he knew of no way to remove it.

Jane offered no recriminations. Not once did she demand more from Asgard’s so-called gods. She spoke no words of blame, and nothing in anger.

Instead, she turned to Odin, her expression set and determined. “So, what do we do now?”

Odin had no answer for her.

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

Loki watched the newest batch of Asgard’s prisoners filing in. They seemed to just keep coming, as Thor ‘restored the peace’ of the Nine Realms, as one of the more friendly guards had told Loki. Loki had just barely managed not to snap at the idiot; anyone willing to offer him even the slightest bit of news and conversation was a treasure to be carefully nurtured. Pity that treasure happened to be a star-struck royalist fool who thought that, simply because Loki was a prince, that he was innocent and everything was a misunderstanding.

Foolish boy.

“Do you need any more books?” Frigga, or rather, Frigga’s projection, asked. Odin’s edict that Loki and Frigga never see each other again after his sentencing was still in effect, but Frigga technically wasn’t in Loki’s cell if she used a projection. Loki saw a projection, the projection saw him, and Frigga technically wasn’t going against her husband’s explicit orders.

It was such an idiotic charade, but it was one Loki would have been grateful for (books and intelligent conversation were both in short supply in prison, after all) had it not been for one small matter. “I can’t believe you forced the King of Asgard into my cell. Is eternal imprisonment not enough? Must you now indulge in barbaric torture?”

Frigga snorted. “That wasn’t torture, child, as you well know.”

Loki shied away from _that_ topic. “Books will not make up for that torment.”

“I’ve done everything in my power to make you as comfortable as possible,” Frigga said, refusing to feel anything like guilty for forcing her youngest son and husband into doing something necessary for both their psyches. “And I waited as long as I could.” Mere weeks, but Frigga wasn’t _quite_ as patient and steadfast as she seemed. “Long game, Loki. You must reconcile with your father–”

“He’s _not_ my father!”

Frigga’s eyes narrowed. “Then you must reconcile with the King of Asgard, to whom you pledged your utmost loyalty many times over, and who has made pledges to you in return. I won’t have this family torn apart while there is still breath in my body.”

“Family?” Loki laughed. “We’re not even the same _species_.”

“You are our son, Thor’s brother, and we love you.” Loki snorted. “Your father and brother–” Loki opened his mouth to refute them again, but Frigga was faster and temporarily stilled his tongue with a gesture. “–are currently wroth with you, as you are with all of us, I understand. But I will not let these wounds fester until they scar. We should have told you the truth earlier, taken the time and effort to guide you through it. We didn’t, and that’s our shame, but nothing can be resolved until you repent of _your_ shame – the cruel destruction and mindless rage that you unleashed upon Midgard.”

As soon as Loki could speak again, he laughed, but it was even more bitter than when Frigga had called him ‘family’. “You would have me apologize for actions that are no more, and no more horrible, than ones Odin himself has taken in the past?”

“I would have you atone,” Frigga insisted. “Only then can we move forward.”

Loki stared at her for a long moment, then clasped his fist over his heart and hung his head. “I _am_ sorry. Midgard is such a delicate, _precious_ world, and my actions despoiled it. I have faced off against heroes, _true_ heroes, and in their worth I found my own shortfalls amplified. My anger was unjust, misdirected, and my attitude once brought to heel was uncouth. I have caused trouble for Odin and Thor, and heartache for you, and I regret all of that, from the bottom of my heart.”

Frigga smiled. “Come now, Loki. Such obvious lies do a disservice to us both.”

“Would you prefer less obvious ones?” Loki asked, his voice innocent and light. “After all, what worth has any apology that falls from a liar’s lips? We both know that I regret none of my actions, only their failure. Any apology would be false, and obviously so.”

“Did I tell you to apologize?” Frigga scolded, as if Loki was a child again. “I told you that you must _atone_.”

“Why?” Loki asked, some of his frustration and anger bubbling up to the surface again as his polite façade melted away. “Why must _I_ always atone when no one else even _acknowledges_ the wrongs done me?”

Frigga shook her head. “There is a reason why Thor’s punishment was banishment and yours is imprisonment.”

“Because bringing war to Midgard is somehow _so much_ worse than bringing it to Jötunheim,” Loki snapped.

“No. Because Odin believed that Thor could redeem himself. He doesn’t have that faith in you.”

Loki made a small noise, involuntary hurt and endless frustration. Frigga decided he’d had enough for one day. “Show him that you can be redeemed, Loki, and Odin will go to the ends of Yggdrasil to see it through.”

He wasn’t convinced, not by a long shot, but he looked as though he was unwillingly contemplating Frigga’s words. She left him alone to ruminate on something potentially constructive for once, and let her projection fade away.

At least she’d left new books, but Loki couldn’t even entertain the thought of reading after she left. His mind was racing so quickly that it made his skin crawl, and he found himself pacing the cell like a mindless caged beast. Which wasn’t so far from the truth. None of his thoughts made any sense, and they just kept going around in circles. Yes, Odin had given up on him, Loki could see that.

But Frigga still had hope. And Odin, from his conversation with Loki, could still apparently be disappointed by his stolen relic, which meant that he had some kind of hope as well. Thor had _lied_ to bring the two of them together, which must have been difficult for him. Did he hope as well? Was Loki the only one who realized that he _wasn’t_ a member of their perfect little family, that he was a changeling, and a natural foe to them all. Was he the only one to see the truth?

True, a part of him longed for things to return to the way they were, as imperfect as they had been. But he’d mostly outgrown that childish dream, had let it go when he’d fallen from the broken bifröst. He was a monster, and Odin should have executed him as soon as Loki had learned that truth. Instead, they were playing through this tiresome farce and Loki was forced to play along as well.

 _Long game_ , Frigga had said. Not just planning for tomorrow or tomorrow’s tomorrow, but years, decades, centuries hence. It would take that long for Odin to believe Loki willing to accept responsibility and atone for his actions. It would take at least that long for _Loki_ to believe himself capable of such wretched weakness. He wasn’t planning on begging anyone for anything anytime soon. Frigga could continue to supply him with books or not, Loki wouldn’t break. Odin and Thor could resume pretending that Loki didn’t exist, and Loki wouldn’t break. They could assign only those guards with a grudge against Loki, and he wouldn’t break. There were worse fates, Loki was well aware of that now, and he could keep himself satisfied with that knowledge alone for a very long time.

A ruckus from one of the other cells passed unnoted as Loki was caught up in his thoughts, but the lights flickering as something drained the massive power that kept the prison secure caught his attention and broke Loki’s angry train of thought. The guards rushed towards the noise, but they were apparently too little too late, because within moments the hall outside Loki’s cell was flooded with former prisoners, all eager to take their revenge on the arrogant Asgardians who had dared to pass judgement on them.

Loki could sympathise.

He watched the chaos unfold with nothing more than a mild curiosity. After his turbulent thoughts, a little outside disorder was a welcome distraction. The marauders stormed past Loki’s cell, days of being locked up with nothing to do clearly leaving them with enough pent up energy to take on the influx of guards that stormed into the prison to attempt to return order.

It was an interesting show, at the very least. Both the guards and the marauders seemed to be powered mostly by determination rather than by any kind of strategy. This had clearly been a surprise to both groups. Quickly tiring of watching the mindless brawling, Loki picked out the bulky hulk of a beastly figure, striding through the newly appointed battlefield, yet untouched by it. When Loki had caused chaos in Asgard’s court, he generally went with the flow, the better to appear inconspicuous. But despite their differing styles, Loki easily recognized the orchestrator of this chaos, and bowed his head slightly in a gesture of respect.

The beast-man approached Loki’s cage, clearly considering releasing him along with the rest of the prisoners. Loki wasn’t sure what it was – the cell to himself, the furniture, both clear marks of a ‘favoured’ prisoner over the masses, or Loki himself – but the beast hesitated a moment before turning away, leaving Loki still imprisoned.

Well, no matter. Loki had long been used to being unchosen. No hard feelings. In fact, he would offer this creature a gift, in return for furnishing Loki with such entertainment.

“You might want to consider the stairs to your left.”

Ungrateful as the beast was, he turned towards Loki only briefly, as if to verify his credibility, then lumbered off in the direction Loki had suggested.

There was nothing particularly special about the stairs Loki had directed the creature towards. They led away from the treasury, away from the throne room, even away from the path to Heimdall’s observatory. As such, it was likely that those stairs would be less guarded since they led to the centre of the palace, the living quarters and kitchens mostly, which would have long since been emptied as soon as the prison escape alarm had been raised. The only strategic room down that direction was the shield room, and there was no reason for Odin or Heimdall to have raised the palace shield with the threat already inside.

Unless they were also fighting an invasion from without. Loki smirked as he settled down against the wall beside the energy shield with one of his mother’s books and a perfect view of the fighting should he choose to look up, his interest kindled by the chaos that railed just outside his cell. It was invigorating to be close to such mayhem again, even if Loki hadn’t caused any of it.

He didn’t even have to be focused on the fighting to be amused. When Fandral and Volstagg entered the fray, Loki made absolutely sure not to pay them any attention, although every one of their grunts of exertion or pain or exclamations of exasperation increased Loki’s enjoyment exponentially. The only thing that might make this better was…

“Return to your cells and no further harm will come to you. You have my word.”

Loki grinned at his book. An overbearing, arrogant Thor was what he’d been missing. Now everything felt just like the old days; he turned a page of his book; only this time he didn’t have to watch his fool brother’s back or rescue him and his idiot friends from their own actions. He heard the sound of flesh hitting flesh, and then Thor’s fury erupting from his calmer veneer. “Very well, you do _not_ have my word.”

The increased fervour of the fighting, predictable after Thor jumped into the fray, didn’t hold nearly as much interest for Loki as the beleaguered fumblings of two thirds of the Warriors Three. Thor’s victory, as always, was all but inevitable, and inevitability was boring. Loki marked his place in his book for later and stood, turning away from the chaos that was quickly settling down under Thor’s might. He had no intention of granting his brother even the dubious honour of his attention.

And then the palace shook, as if besieged down to its very foundations. For the first time, Loki had evidence that this wasn’t just a prison riot. Something was attacking Asgard. And he had sent the instigator of the riots towards the shielding room.

“Oops.” It wasn’t what he had planned, but it wasn’t as if Asgard was otherwise defenceless. After all, they _loved_ their battle and glory. At worst, Loki had just given them more opportunities to gain them. It was hardly aiding and abetting the enemy, and since when were Asgard’s enemies Loki’s? Not since he’d been dethroned, that was for certain, and it wasn’t as if anyone had told him anything! He hadn’t known, he _couldn’t_ have known, and he refused to feel guilty or take responsibility for something that wasn’t his fault, especially when he was trapped down in his cell, waiting for the ceiling to cave in with no escape and no one caring one whit for _his_ safety and–

The shield behind him went down. Loki braced himself for an attack, but refused to turn around. He recognized the general aura looming behind him, and refused to give Thor the satisfaction of meeting his inevitable accusations face-to-face.

Except that having a sword tossed at his back was too much for even Loki’s atrophied warrior’s reflexes to ignore, even if it had been thrown hilt-first. He caught it in his right hand and found himself looking slightly down at Thor’s anxious, almost painfully earnest face.

“We are under attack,” Thor said, as if Loki couldn’t have guessed that on his own. “We could use your help.”

“Thor!” Volstagg protested. “Surely you can’t mean to _arm_ this traitor and set him free.”

Loki could argue the definition of the word ‘traitor’ (he was certain that disobeying a direct order from your king fell under that purview, making Volstagg the traitor, not him) but he actually agreed, in principle, with the rotund warrior. “Indeed, Thor. What makes you think that I would fight on _your_ side?”

“Because…” Thor, in a rare grip of restraint, bit back whatever sentimental drivel he was planning on spouting and set a determined look upon Loki. “I have my reasons for my faith in you, Loki, and I will not have them belittled. Now, are you coming or not?”

“But of course I am, Thor,” Loki purred, testing the heft of the sword. It was perfectly serviceable, if not the weapon Loki would have chosen. “I wouldn’t dare refuse the invitation of the great prince of Asgard.”

Fandral barked out an angry laugh. “We have our eye on you, Trickster. I doubt you’d be a match for my blades, even armed.”

“Perhaps not,” Loki conceded, eying one of the ‘fallen’ marauders who had grabbed a spear and was aiming for Volstagg’s back from the floor. A quick pulse of magic (and how _good_ it felt to release that) had him writhing on the floor, convinced that his hand had shrunken and withered away, his muffled screams only now drawing the attention of Thor and his goons. “But swords never _were_ my forte.”

Volstagg gave Loki a nod of thanks, an unwelcome reminder to all of them of the time they had travelled together, before remembering himself. Loki let it go and stepped down from his cell, allowing at least the illusion of his armour and traditional weapons to cover up his prison garb. Unfortunately, his daggers weren’t real and there was nowhere to sheath this cumbersome sword. This was far from perfect, but at least he was free. First things first, after all.

Even with Thor and Fandral and Volstagg and several Asgardian guards staring him down, Loki didn’t feel the need to run. He’d been mostly inactive since the battle on Midgard and he was looking forward to stretching his legs and causing some sanctioned mayhem again.

Then Thor had to ruin it by extending his left hand (his right still held Mjölnir) towards Loki, with a tentative smile.

Thor didn’t do anything tentatively. Loki scowled and pushed past him towards the stairs he’d sent the lumbering beast up. He didn’t care to check to see if anyone followed him at first, but the trail of dead bodies leading to the shield room was unsettling. He slowed until Thor drew up beside him and finally looked behind them, surprised that Fandral and Volstagg hadn’t accompanied him.

True to form, Thor didn’t even seem to notice the source of Loki’s concerns. “What is it?”

“As far as you know, has the attack gotten this far?”

Thor shook his head. “I’m not sure. But given the devastation here, it’s a fair guess, is it not?”

“Not entirely,” Loki said, a little reluctant to share information with Thor, even if it served his purposes. Not that he didn’t trust Thor, he just didn’t trust him to not think the worst of Loki for knowing things and not immediately sharing them. Nevertheless, Loki wasn’t sure he could deal with this threat alone. “The prison riots were started by a single prisoner, to cover his escape, I think. He went this way,” _because I told him to,_ “and may have taken down the shielding so that his compatriots could enter Asgard.”

He braced himself for Thor’s inevitable interrogation – it wasn’t as if he trusted Loki after all, not really, and surely he would suspect something sinister was behind Loki’s knowledge. Gone were the days when Thor just took Loki’s advice at face value, at least when he bothered to pay attention to it.

Thor frowned. “Then we should be on our guards.” He moved past Loki and towards the shield room, Mjölnir held tight in his hand. Loki’s body moved to follow him, as it had so many times in their shared past, when he hesitated, noticing for the first time another body laying mostly concealed by the curve of the stairs that led upwards towards the living quarters for the royal family and their guests.

The beast wasn’t in the shielding room, clearly. He’d moved on.

Loki grinned. There was no way he was letting Thor in on this. He dropped his borrowed sword and crept up the stairs, pausing when he was certain he was alone and quickly and quietly called up a brace of daggers from one of his hidden interdimensional pockets. After a moment’s thought, he also took the Casket of Ancient Winters and moved it so that it was more easily retrievable. Anything that could break out of Asgard’s prisons would take more than a dagger to stop.

Once up the stairs, Loki felt his heart skip a beat. The doors leading to Thor’s room and his own room were closest to the stairs, and clear, but the next room was their mother’s boudoir and two guards lay dead or unconscious outside that door.

Worse, even, the door was closed. Loki knew well how very creaky his mother’s door was, and how difficult it was to sneak into her room through it without being overheard. Fortunately, there were other ways in, and Loki had no trouble breaking into his parents’ shared room and ducking under the tapestry to slide through the ‘secret’ passageway into his mother’s private room. He was just in time to hear a broken, warped voice, a voice that Loki had never before heard (was, therefore, was not a voice of Asgard) monologuing.

“ _I am Algrim, last of the Kursed, servant to King Malekith, and I would take back what is his._ ”

Loki peeked out from behind the pillar that hid him from sight and did a quick assessment. Yes, that was the beast from the prison, yes, his mother was armed and confronting him, yes, Thor’s mortal plaything was there too.

That last one was a surprise. Apparently, Asgard’s royal family was keeping secrets from Loki. Again.

The brute; Algrim the Kursed, apparently; moved towards Thor’s woman and Frigga slashed out at him with her sword, landing a shallow hit to his right side. Algrim took the hit without flinching, as well as the next few blows Frigga landed. She was in brilliant form, Loki noted, even as he focused on trying to find some sign of weakness from her opponent. Unfortunately, he took hit after hit with no significant damage, and was able to disarm Frigga and grasp her by her neck, holding her up off the ground as he lurched towards the human.

Only to have his hand pass through her, the illusion of Jane Foster disappearing into thin air.

Ah, there. Loki found his weakness.

“ _Where is the Aether_?” Algrim demanded, shaking Frigga.

Frigga recovered well. “I’ll never tell you. Or your master.”

The Aether? Interesting. Loki stepped out of the shadows, armed with a dagger in one hand, and a handful of long brown hair in the other. “I, on the other hand, am in a sharing mood.”

Both Algrim and Frigga turned to him. Frigga reacted first, gasping and struggling anew in Algrim’s hold. “Loki! You mustn’t let the Aether fall into Malekith’s hands!”

“Or else what?” Loki asked. “Will he destroy Asgard? The Nine Realms?” He shrugged, and Jane gave a little shriek as the gesture pulled at her hair. “Oh, no, how perfectly terrible.” He smiled at his mother. “Was that what you’re expecting from me, the dethroned King, the exiled prince, the escaped prisoner?” His voice shook with repressed fury, the thin veneer of calm quickly lost to his rage. “Asgard and the Nine Realms entire can be damned for all I care! At my hand, at the hand of this Malekith, what does it matter?”

“It’s not mere destruction,” Frigga said, pleading. “The Aether will transform the Nine Realms into dark matter, and you know how unstable that is. Loki, this could destroy _everything_.”

Loki rolled his eyes and turned his attention to Algrim. “Your master, is he coming?”

“ _He is_.”

“Then if you want to present him with this prize,” he shook Jane and she cried out, collapsing into helpless sobs, “I suggest you negotiate quickly.” A cruel smile crossed Loki’s face. “After all, I am a mage of no small power myself. I could easily find some purpose of my own for the Aether should you dally.”

“ _What would you ask for in return_?”

“A safe escape route. I assume you have one prepared?” Algrim nodded. “Then take me with you. I’ll take the Aether, and we can discuss further remuneration with Malekith himself.”

Algrim nodded again and tossed Frigga aside before moving towards the window. Loki turned to follow, only to find his feet sealed to the ground by a spell. It was easily broke, but by the time Loki had freed himself, Frigga was there, one hand holding the arm that held Jane’s hair.

“Loki, please don’t do this. I know you’re hurting, but this isn’t the way.”

Loki stared at his mother for a long moment, and then laughed without any humour. “You know I’m hurting? You lied to me from the first moment you saw me, you _used_ me even after I found out the truth myself, for _Asgard’s_ sake. You never once even asked after me, never mind that my entire world had been shattered. No, it was all about Odin’s unnatural sleep, or _poor_ Thor, exiled for starting a war! And then when Odin awoke, you weren’t there to protect me from his wrath, nor at the bifröst, nor at my trial. You even denied me a clean death! What, were you afraid you’d miss your little pet after a few centuries?”

“Of course not! We love you…”

“Who is this ‘we’, Allmother?” Loki snarled. “Even if you harboured some affection for me, who else are you counting? Thor, who dragged me back in chains? Odin, who would have had me killed to cover up his shame? Any person or creature in Asgard, all of whom no doubt sighed in relief and celebrated at Thor’s return and my demise? No, there is no love for me here. So why not _let it all burn_?”

Frigga drew back, clearly stunned by Loki’s venom. “You truly believe that.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry Loki, but I can’t let you do this.” From behind her back, she drew a concealed dagger and stabbed at Loki’s shoulder. He deflected the blow with his own blade and, with a twist of his wrist, flung Frigga’s arm out wide, leaving her midsection open to attack.

Her eyes widened a mere second before Loki plunged his dagger home, a surgical strike between her ribs, straight into her heart.

“In this, at least, you were a good teacher, Allmother,” Loki whispered as Frigga fell to her knees, then face first into a quickly expanding puddle of her own blood.

“Loki, no!”

Loki’s head whipped around to the open doors where Thor stood, stunned into immobile disbelief. Before Thor could move, Kurse grabbed Loki around the waist and jumped with him out the window. Loki had just enough time to blow Thor a kiss and then he disappeared from sight.


	3. Asgardian Family Spats

Thor hadn’t really minded Loki abandoning him. He’d half figured Loki would run off at the earliest opportunity, and this chaos was more than opportunity enough. That was why he’d stopped Volstagg and Fandral from following them; he had no desire for them to get into any trouble for Loki’s escape when it had all been Thor’s idea.

And it had all been Thor’s idea (well, implanted by Frigga, but he could hardly blame her for that) because he wanted to trust Loki again. He didn’t, he _couldn’t_ , but Frigga had shown him that there were more important things than justice and punishment. He’d tried to reach out to Loki so many times in the past – on the bifröst, on Midgard (perhaps rather ineptly after taking Loki from that flying contraption, but certainly much more openly on Stark tower) – and had been ignored or rebuffed every time. But that was simply because Loki was either the victim or villain in those stories. As Frigga had implied to Thor, it was their job to ensure Loki’s rehabilitation. Because they were the heroes, and were held to a higher standard.

Odin, on the other hand, was a king, and held to a different standard. As frustrated as he was, Thor couldn’t resent him for refusing to give Loki another chance. But he also couldn’t deny his own desire to have his brother returned to him. Someone had to make the first move and, as long-lived as they were, waiting for Loki or Odin to do so would leave them old and grey or long dead first.

Still, Loki’s abandonment didn’t necessarily mean Loki’s betrayal. While there was no enemy in the shield room, it had clearly been attacked, and the shields were down. Loki probably hadn’t been lying.

Thor ran down a few guards and ordered them to find someone to repair the shield. It might be a matter of too little, too late, but at least it was something. They hadn’t seen Loki, which meant that Loki had either donned a disguise (not unlikely) or gone off in a different direction. Given that his only other option had been the stairs leading to the living area, and that Frigga and Jane were both there, Thor bet on the latter and left the bulk of the fighting behind to race to his mother’s room.

The dead guards were more than enough of a tip-off that his guess had been correct, and Thor moved past them and opened the doors in a single, sweeping motion, determined to aid his brother in protecting their mother from the invaders.

What he saw was Loki, his left hand wrapped in Jane’s hair, his right hand covered in Frigga’s blood as he released the dagger he had just plunged into her chest.

It was like Thor’s worst nightmare, come to life. “Loki, no!” And, just as in a nightmare, he found himself planted to the ground, unable to move or react other than a visceral cry as Loki was pulled away from Frigga and out the window, taking Jane with him.

The last Thor saw of Loki was a cruel twist of his lips as he blew Thor a kiss, one bright eye closed briefly in a wink, as though to share some wicked joke.

Only that was enough to get Thor moving, crossing the room in a few long strides, Mjölnir light and eager in his hands. There was no sign of Loki, but an alien harrow ship appeared from below instead, making itself a viable target. Thor flung Mjölnir at it, but his eyes were full of tears, and his aim was off. The hammer managed to clip the ship but not enough to bring it down, and by the time Mjölnir returned to his hand the ship and Loki and Jane were out of range.

He’d failed. He’d _more_ than failed. He’d taken a risk, against the advice of his father and without the support of his mother, and it had led to the death of his mother and the loss of his love. In one fell swoop, Loki had destroyed any good feelings Thor might have had for him, as well as any hope for the future Thor had been nurturing under Frigga's care. Without Jane’s gentle influence, or Frigga’s subtle guidance, Thor felt abandoned already, lost and alone.

He fell to his knees by his mother’s body, ignoring the spreading pool of blood. He couldn’t bring himself to reach out, the feelings of guilt and unworthiness stopping him from even attempting to approach Frigga, who lay dead thanks to Thor’s misjudgement.

Odin entered the room, his spear at the ready, and Thor turned to him, unable to express to his father that he was too late, that Thor had been too late, that everything was already over.

With heavy steps, Odin crossed the room to join Thor by Frigga’s side. He reached a trembling hand over Frigga’s head, only to jerk back as she sat up, covered from her neck down in bright red blood that vanished along with the pool of blood on the floor. Both Odin and Thor stared wordlessly at her as she straightened her dress, only to look up at Jane came out of the closet in which she had apparently been hiding.

“What…” Thor asked, before stopping, unsure of how to end that question.

Jane smiled and moved towards them, pausing to give Frigga a hand up. Frigga took the hand gracefully, leaving her husband and son kneeling at her feet and running a hand over Jane’s hair. “Are you alright, my dear?”

“Fine, thanks,” Jane said, smiling instinctively at Frigga before turning a worried look on Thor. “I heard what happened, Thor. I’m sorry we couldn’t tell you anything…”

“You’re alive?” Thor said, disbelieving, looking between his mother and Jane. “You’re both alive and here and…” A grin bloomed across his face and he launched himself at them, enveloping them both in his arms. “Thank the norns.”

Frigga returned Thor’s embrace, but her gentle smile turned slightly wry. “Thank your brother.”

“Loki?” Odin asked, and instead of Thor’s relief, his voice was coloured with anger. Perhaps that was easier for him to express, although Thor clearly remembered the way his hand shook as he reached out towards what he’d thought was his wife’s dead body. “What was Loki doing here?”

“That was my doing, father,” Thor admitted.

Frigga didn’t let him finish. “We can deal with that later. For now, Thor, you need to go pick up your brother.”

“My… Loki? Surely he’s halfway to Svartálfaheim by now.”

“I doubt it, seeing as he still has to deal with that Algrim fellow.” Frigga patted Thor’s back and pushed him towards the window. “Go on, now. We’ll see you both when you get back.”

Thor stumbled forward, frowning when he saw a plume of smoke coming from fairly far off in the distance, from the direction the harrow ship had gone. Clearly, Frigga meant for him to follow that sign.

Still, Thor hesitated and turned to his father. Odin looked foreboding, significantly less than impressed with Thor and the situation as a whole, but he nodded once, curtly, and Thor nodded back (apologetically) before leaping out the window and racing through the air towards the ship’s crash site.

He’d expected fire. What he found was ice.

The ship itself was quite destroyed, in several pieces strewn over a wrecked valley. The fuselage was half-buried in the ground, the wings and tail shattered around the crash site. The cockpit remained mostly intact, although that was where most of the smoke was coming from.

None of that was remarkable or unexpected. What Thor _hadn’t_ expected was the frozen ground over an area twice the size of the ship itself. No Dark Elf technology that he knew of could do such a thing, but he was the first to admit that he knew somewhat less than everything about Dark Elves. He landed hard, brandishing Mjölnir rather than letting it ease his landing, ready for whatever he found, his warrior senses assuring him that some kind of threat was imminent.

The creak of frozen metal verified Thor’s instincts, as the black metal of the ship’s cockpit bulged and burst open, releasing a burst of black smoke. The tearing sound of brittle metal being ripped apart set Thor’s teeth on edge, but he was prepared for anything that came through the small hole.

Anything, except for the blue arm that tore through the remaining metal, freezing it further as it was joined by its partner to rend through the side of the ship, opening a hole large enough for a small Frost Giant to crawl out of the wreckage, coughing heavily. Thor’s blood roared in his ears; as if fighting the Dark Elves wasn’t enough, they had employed the help of the Jötnar, a race Thor felt extremely ambivalent about since, despite growing up hearing about their monstrous misdeeds, he accepted at least partial responsibility for nearly destroying their entire race and planet.

But that guilt was reserved for the innocent Jötnar he and Loki had nearly killed. For those who would willingly join with Malekith and his ilk, Thor had nothing but ire. After breaking into his mother’s chambers and attempting to attack Jane, Malekith’s minions deserved nothing but an inglorious death. And Thor was more than willing to dole it out.

The Frost Giant climbed to its feet, bracing itself on the side of the cockpit with one hand, its other hand cradling an ornate blue box. Thor brandished Mjölnir and advanced, taking the opportunity afforded by the Jötunn’s distraction to get in the first blow – and hopefully making it the last.

The Frost Giant coughed again and shook his head, making his black hair (an unusual sight for Thor – hair on a Jötunn) flop into his face, and giving Thor a perfect opening. He took a deep breath for his battle cry, but that breath hitched as he realized what the Jötunn was saying.

“–by the Norns’ tits and Odin’s gouged-out eyeball and Thor’s big fat head, that was close.” Another cough. “Dark Elvish craft can’t even make a decent crash landing. Next time, we should be overrun with dwarves. _They_ have sturdy workmanship.”

“ _Loki_?”

The Frost Giant looked up, red eyes widening in horror, but not a kind of horror Thor had ever seen in Jötunn eyes – it was tinged with embarrassment and devoid of any fear. That, if Thor had any doubt left, would have assured him that he was correct.

His gaze dropped to Loki’s side, widening as he recognised the blue box as the Casket of Ancient Winters. They had thought it lost when Loki had fallen off the bifröst which, as it turned out, was fairly close to the truth at the time. The thought of Loki having access to such power while locked away in Asgard’s dungeons was… unnerving.

But the shamefaced way he made the Casket vanish, turning back into his Asgardian guise, was somewhat relieving. If the cost of using even such a powerful artefact was high enough to impact Loki’s pride, then it wasn’t as versatile and fearsome as it first seemed. Thor made his way to his brother’s side, still holding Mjölnir but trying to seem as peaceable as possible. He certainly had no desire now to harm his brother, although he was willing to do so if Loki tried to run, but he wasn’t sure what to say to defuse the incredibly awkward tension that was more about Loki’s Jötunn form and less about him being an escaped criminal.

Fortunately, Loki took up the slack. “We should leave before Kurse gets free.”

“Kurse?” Thor asked, feeling the same way he had with his mother – as if he’d missed something significant.

“Kurse, Algrim, whatever. Malekith’s minion,” Loki said. “He’s been enhanced, and should be able to break through even the Casket’s frozen hold.”

“Why did you–”

“He figured out I was using the Casket’s power to mimic the Aether and attacked me.” Loki looked irritated. “I was hoping to at least leave Asgard before that happened. He broke free of Asgard’s prison, I doubt even the Casket’s solid ice can hold him.”

As if summoned by Loki’s words, there came a sound of shattering ice and an angry roar. Thor stood his ground as Loki danced out of the way of Kurse’s rampage. The lumbering beast, less elf than monster now, launched himself bodily at Thor, beating back Thor’s attacks and even Mjölnir with his bare hands. His attacks were just as blunt as his defence and were limited mostly to jabs and blows that, despite being quicker than his size would seem to allow, Thor could defend against, and did minimal damage.

Still, minimal damaged added up, and Thor wasn’t precisely uninjured from his fight in the dungeons.

“Block with your left and strike with Mjölnir!” Loki called from a safe distance. Thor grit his teeth and ignored him, focusing on Kurse who had planted his feet and seemed content to just lash out at Thor, whether his blows landed or not.

Even blocking Kurse was beginning to take its toll on Thor’s arms. At this rate, he’d be unable to continue fighting in a few days.

“I think you’ve got him now!”

Thor’s attention wavered and Kurse rewarded him with a strike against the side of his head that dazed him enough that Thor fall back a few steps. Fortunately, Kurse didn’t seem eager to follow-up on that and gave Thor the moment he needed to recover.

“Loki, if you’re not going to help, then at the very least be quiet!”

Loki pouted. “You never asked for my help.” He drew the Casket of Ancient Winters out from its hiding place. “You _never_ ask for my help. You just assume I’m going to be there, at your back, saving you from your foolish endeavours–”

“By Ymir’s balls, Loki, _do something_!”

“Fine.”

Kurse launched another attack at Thor, but was caught midstride by a blast of icy that went so far as to chill the air around Thor, who wasn’t even in the blast. He whirled around, but his movement slowed as the cold grew deeper, more pervasive, and he started freezing, his body encased in ice as his muscles fused into place. Thor waited only until the Casket stopped before bringing his hammer down hard onto Kurse’s now-frozen, brittle body.

Pieces of the former beast flew in all directions, save for Loki’s where they were stopped by a protective shield that Loki had cast. Normally, Thor would have something to say about his brother’s reluctance to get dirty, but Loki was blue again, and teasing him about his fastidiousness seemed at little out of place.

Rather than putting the Casket away again, however, Loki simply looked at Thor with his red eyes peering out of a blue face and seemingly dared Thor to say anything. With Kurse dead, the question of what to do about Loki was now of primary importance again, and neither Loki nor Thor wanted to force the other’s hand.

Then again, Loki doubtless feared further recriminations, which could easily have been forthcoming had Odin ordered his return. But Frigga…

“The Allmother has ordered me to retrieve you and return you to her side.”

Loki’s eyes flashed. “And if I resist?”

Thor shrugged. On one hand, and order was an order. On the other, Loki had just possibly saved Frigga and Jane’s lives, and had aided in Asgard’s defence rather than running away. On the third hand, however, Thor couldn’t forget or so easily forgive all the damage Loki had done on Midgard and Jötunheim. “Are you asking me to let you go?”

Loki stiffened, and even in his new hue Thor could tell from his body language that he was insulted and hurt. “I am not, and I will never again ask _anything_ from you.” He made an elaborate gesture and the Casket vanished. Thor was slightly taken aback at Loki’s sudden mood swing and, even with Loki’s skin fading back to its usual tone, the closeness that Thor had felt, battling beside his brother and exchanging barbs, had faded. Loki turned from Thor and started off towards the palace and Thor, after a moment, followed him.

The oddity of Loki willingly giving in to Thor’s demand (well, Frigga’s demand, through Thor) without much of a fight took Thor off guard. Loki already had a decent lead on him by the time Thor started, and was walking swiftly enough that Thor had to jog a little to catch up. It wasn’t dignified, but there was no one but Loki to see him, and Loki was hardly paying him any attention, even once Thor caught up to him and walked beside him.

For the first few minutes of tense silence, Thor realized how little progress they’d made. “It would be faster if we flew.” He hadn’t exactly made a habit of taking Loki with him when he flew with Mjölnir, and the last time – after grabbing his brother out of the Avengers’ quinjet and flinging him onto a nearby mountain – had been less than entertaining to both of them.

The look Loki gave Thor indicated he was thinking about something similar. “Are you that eager to get your hands on me again?”

“No, I just… I meant only what I said. I trust that you’re keeping your word and returning to the palace, but it _would_ be quicker to–”

“I care nothing for your sincerity,” Loki snapped. “I’d greatly prefer being left alone, however, and I thought I made that perfectly clear.”

Well, he certainly had made it clear now. Thor refused to admit he was sulking as they continued down the path to their parents and, indeed, was soon distracted by the unfolding sight of the damage the Dark Elves had wrought. From the entrance to the bifröst to the palace proper there was a swathe of destruction that laid waste to the elegant and occasionally ostentatious beauty of the architecture and landscaping.

It made Thor’s blood boil. A craven, unprovoked attack on Asgard itself was no less that he might have expected from those such as the Dark Elves, but it still infuriated him to know that Asgard and her people had suffered from the cowardice of her enemies when an honourable frontal assault would have wrecked far less damage.

“What do you know of the Aether?”

Loki shot him a scathing look, as if Thor hadn’t respected his wishes for full _minutes_ before cracking. Thor, still internally fuming over the devastation of Asgard (relative; most of it remained intact, but this was the first time Thor had seen it in a state other than perfect) refused to back down just because Loki was glaring at him. After a moment, Loki gave in.

“It’s powerful, more powerful than most of the Allfather’s collected relics.” Loki slowed down as he thought, casting his mind back to remote memories of lessons from centuries ago. “It had the potential to destroy the entirety of the Nine Realms by itself, but otherwise its potential power was thought to be impossible to harness.” He stopped altogether and turned to Thor. “It may be a thing of pure destruction, or pure chaos, or pure darkness.” A slow smile crept over his face. “And it’s in your Midgardian.”

Thor, to his great credit, didn’t punch Loki in the face. “Can it be destroyed itself?” The legends said that Bor hadn’t been able to, but that had been millennia ago.

Loki laughed. “Destroy destruction? My, what a paradox. Besides, don’t you mean to ask if there’s a way to destroy it that will leave your lady intact?” Whatever expression Thor made at that made Loki laugh again. “Ask the Allfather, Thor. After all, isn’t he the bastion of wisdom and lore in Asgard?”

“I did ask him,” Thor admitted. “He was… less than helpful.”

All the humour drained from Loki’s face. “Well, I should never presume to overreach the great Odin.”

After that, Loki refused to answer any of Thor’s questions, no matter if Thor phrased them as flattery or mockery or simple blunt inquiry. Thor grew more and more frustrated until he finally just grabbed Loki around the waist and flew them back to the palace, revelling in Loki’s squacks and protests.

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

Jane wished that Thor had waited at least a second before flying off after his brother, but she did understand that time was of the essence.

Still, it left her alone with Odin and Frigga who, besides being the most powerful people of a world that took for granted things that routinely blew Jane’s mind, had recently had their home invaded, fought for their lives and the lives of their people and, albeit only for a short time, had suffered what they (or at least Odin) thought was an irrevocable loss.

And that was awkward.

As a human in New Mexico, Thor had never shied away from emotion, but Jane had somehow thought that he’d been suffering from a loss of control along with his loss of power. He’d cried and laughed with equal abandon, but as soon as his powers had returned he’d become solely determined, seemingly with no time for sentiment. Of course, when he’d returned to Earth for Jane, he’d made the entire sky weep. Perhaps Jane should have taken the hint that Asgardians weren’t simply manly, stoic warriors. Still, watching the king and queen of Asgard moon at each other was a little… uncomfortable.

“I thought you dead.”

“Love, you would know in your heart were that so. And I’d hope you’d have more faith in our son than that.”

Odin held Frigga in his arms, as he had since Thor had left. He seemed unwilling to let her go, and she seemed to have no interest in being released. Her head rested gently on his chest, as if bright metal buckles and tempered armour were comfortable pillows, and one of his hands ghosted over her jaw and hair and throat, as if continuously checking that they were clean and not covered in blood as they’d seemed under the illusion she had woven to make Loki's attack seem real. They hadn’t taken their eyes off each other, and Jane was feeling very much like a third wheel.

And it wasn’t just eye contact. It was eye _embracing_. Somehow Jane knew that any two people who looked at each other like that would be together until one of them, or both, died. And, perhaps, even beyond that. Odin had rested his lips on Frigga’s forehead at one point, the only time they had broken their mutual gaze, and it was such a tender gesture that Jane had found herself looking away, with tears in her eyes.

But Odin wasn’t kissing Frigga now. Although his gaze hadn’t moved from hers, there was a coolness there that undercut the romantic mood.

“He’s not our son.”

Frigga just shrugged. “He’d agree. And Thor and I would disagree.” She sighed. “Forgive me if I think you two stubborn asses are a little biased.”

“He’s done unforgivable things!”

“He’s done _awful_ things, that’s true enough. And we have harmed him in our turn.”

“It’s hardly the same.”

“No, but nothing is unforgivable, My King. The only question is how easily achieved that forgiveness might be.”

Personally, Jane felt that Frigga was being a little lenient. It wasn’t as if Loki had crashed the family car. He’d attempted to take over her planet and had killed hundreds or thousands or tens of thousands (numbers varied, and it was debatable if those who died in the subsequent riots in New York and around the world after a near-alien invasion counted as Loki’s victims or just humanity’s own misanthropy) of people who had done nothing more than live in the city he decided to stage his attack in. Sure, he was Frigga’s son, but surely she needed more than that to forgive his unfathomable actions.

Odin seemingly agreed with Jane’s assessment. “He is unrepentant and unremorseful, as well as careless and cruel. He _could_ be forgiven for the latter if he wasn’t so firmly the former.”

“Stubbornness and pride,” Frigga said serenely. “Traits he got from you, I might add. Give him time, show him that you consider his actions to have been cruel and careless, not his self. He may have nothing but disdain for the Midgardians, something else he shares with you, but he truly does loathe the Jötnar, which is far more of a problem, and one we should have put a halt to in his youth.”

It was irksome to hear Loki’s disregard for her entire species, one that led to at least several deaths, be swept away as irrelevant. But honestly, Jane didn’t really care how the Asgardian Royal Family dealt with its black sheep. Odin had treated her like an animal when she’d arrived, more interested in the Aether within her than herself as a person, and it was hard to believe he’d care enough about what happened to Earthlings on Earth to do anything but use it as a justification for whatever he’d already decided to do. But Thor and Frigga both seemed truly compassionate, albeit in occasionally condescending ways, and Jane could tell that they truly were affected by what Loki had done on Earth, especially Thor. Odin would do whatever he wanted, justifying it however he could, but Frigga and Thor would both seek justice in their own way, even if their justice was coloured by more mercy than Loki deserved.

Still, what Jane truly cared about, at least at that moment, was the way her blood boiled, colouring the world red. The visual hallucination was painless but disturbing and, worst of all, oddly compelling. The sky tore open and a swirling vortex of power ripped through the air, devouring everything in its path. It was tragic and pointless and Dark, but it was also eerily satisfying, like a sad ending to a well-written tale that ties up all the loose ends.

It felt horrifically _right_ , even while most of Jane knew that it was wrong.

“My King.” A new voice ripped through the soft murmurs that Frigga and Odin had been exchanging, pulling Jane out of her vision. “We have verified that the Dark Elves have all retreated, including Malekith. We have won the day, albeit at great cost.”

Odin never released Frigga, and Frigga never moved away, but their attention was finally on something other than each other. “Well done, Tyr. How fare our defences?”

Another Asgardian, this one faintly familiar to Jane, stepped up. “We are still unable to restore the palace shields. Should the Dark Elves decide to return, our artillery cannot detect them, even Heimdall cannot see them. My King, we are all but defenceless.” Fandral, she remembered, one of Thor’s friends.

“That is… unwelcome news,” Frigga said. Fandral inclined his head apologetically, then his eyes widened.

Jane whipped around just in time to see Loki flying headfirst at her (well, a little to the side of her and past her, actually), flung by Thor who made a somewhat more graceful landing at her side before dropping Mjölnir in favour of taking Jane into his arms. “Are you well?”

“Uh-huh,” Jane said, flustered. It didn’t take much from Thor to do that, and the thrilling rush she got from him was untainted by any sense of wrongness.

From behind them, Loki dragged himself to his feet. “Wonderful. Your pet remains intact. For now.” He smirked cruelly. “Perhaps we could focus on more important–”

Jane slapped him.

It wasn’t like the lovetap-of-anger she’d dealt Thor. That had been frustration, albeit inappropriately channelled into violence, while this was a similar bitter loathing she would have felt had Loki been dressed in a Hydra or Nazi outfit. It was, at its core, impersonal.

“That was for New York.”

Loki looked a little surprised, but his smirk only widened until it looked like an actual smile. “I like her. Is someone going to catch her before she falls?”

Thor did, to Jane’s relief. She didn’t faint, but it was close. “Why do I feel…”

“How long does she have?” Frigga asked, moving up beside Loki.

Loki hummed thoughtfully. “She’s using the Aether without controlling it. And she’s mortal. I’d give her two days, perhaps three if she’s kept in a calm, non-threatening environment.” He looked around the room, filled with battle-worn soldiers and showing signs of the fight with Kurse. “Out of all of Asgard, I’d recommend the prisons. They were certainly duller than this.”

“You’re not imprisoning her!” Thor protested, his voice rumbling comfortingly though Jane’s body.

Frigga sighed. “No, of course not. Loki, you’ve studied areas of _seiðr_ that your father and I haven’t. Do you know how to safely extract the Aether from Lady Jane?”

“Just ‘Jane’ is fine,” Jane said weakly, but no one seemed to hear her over the immediate protests Thor and Odin were both making at Frigga’s request.

“It’s too great a risk, mother. If even father can’t remove it safely, how could Loki?”

“A power such as the Aether should never be wielded by such a sallow, petty fool! My father hid it away for a reason.”

“I don’t actually need either of your permission.” Loki turned to Jane and gave her a shallow bow. “I need yours.”

The Aether felt alien and awful inside of her, but Jane didn’t trust Loki further than she could throw him without tapping into the Aether. On the other hand, she was fairly predisposed to trust Frigga’s judgement on this issue, as she had risked her life to keep Jane safe and hidden, and Frigga was nodding encouragingly at her. And three days wasn’t a long time.

Jane didn’t want to die.

“Alright.”

“I have your consent?” Loki asked, deceptively gentle. “I want that to be perfectly clear, lest certain parties–” He glared at Thor briefly “–get any untoward ideas.” Thor growled at him in return.

Jane had just enough strength to push away from Thor and stand on her own. “You have my consent,” she said clearly. “To do whatever you have to do to get this thing out of me _safely_.”

“Well stipulated,” Loki said. He reached a hand out, letting it hover over her face, his palm over her mouth and his fingers curled slightly towards her eyes. “Close your eyes.” Jane did. “Breathe deeply and slowly. Good. This is about control. The Aether isn’t a natural part of you, and it wants to be free of your mortal coil as much as you want to be free of it. The power to release the Aether has been inside you this whole time.”

Jane nodded. She could feel the Aether moving inside her, curling under her skin as it had when Odin had exposed it. It was separate from her, distinct. And whatever Loki was doing was making it more so.

“Good, you’re almost ready,” Loki continued. “Breathe in. And out. Good. Now move your feet closer together and stand straight. Excellent. Now, click your heels three times and repeat after me: ‘There’s no place like home.’”

Jane’s eyes flew open. There was a flash of red, there and gone in an instant, and then Loki’s smug, superior, self-satisfied face. She wanted to slug him again.

“Jane, your heels…”

“Oh, shut up, Thor,” Loki snapped, stalking past him towards the balcony. “It’s an inside joke. Of _course_ I don’t know how to extract the Aether! My entire life, the only thing I knew about it was that it had been destroyed. In hindsight, such lies aren’t completely unexpected.”

“And neither is your deception,” Odin shot back. “Guards, take him back to his cell.”

Loki winced apologetically. “I’d really rather not.” He barely spared the guards approaching him a glance as he flung himself over the balcony, disappearing from sight.

Thor got to the balcony first, Mjölnir in one hand, the other gripping onto the railing as he nearly tipped over himself in his contortions to see every angle at which Loki could have run off to. To no avail. “I do wish he’d stop jumping off things to solve his problems.”

Frigga covered her mouth, but not quite in time to stifle her laugh. “Sorry. But Thor does have a point.”

“May I go after him?” Thor asked Odin. “Surely Heimdall…”

“Loki has cloaked himself from Heimdall before, and has almost certainly used one of his secret paths to escape Asgard entirely. He’s likely already in Svartálfaheim and meeting with Malekith as we speak.”

Thor frowned. “Why would he go to Malekith?”

“Because he needs allies,” Odin said as if speaking impatiently to a particularly slow child. “As wanted as he is, there are no other Realms he could run to. The Dark World is a dead Realm, but it’s also an ideal place to hide. If you are to confront him, you will need transportation.”

“Very well,” Thor said. “Might I take a few allies of my own? Jane and I will–”

“Your Midgardian is staying here!” Odin insisted. “I’ll not risk the Aether falling into the hands of our enemies.”

“They will destroy Asgard!”

“You overestimate their power!”

Frigga stepped between them. “Thor, calm down and stop arguing with your father. He has to take the Nine Realms into consideration, as he has for millennia.” She bowed to Odin. “I can see to this matter, Allfather. Your War Council is awaiting your approval to start fortifying the palace and readying Asgard for another assault.”

Odin immediately relaxed, as if Frigga’s gently firm voice had removed a burden from his shoulder. “My thanks, Allmother.” He shot Thor one last steely look of disapproval before leaving with the rest of the guards and soldiers, save for Fandral who moved up to stand beside Thor.

Frigga smiled at all three of them and clasped her hands together. “Alright. Where to start…”


	4. Brotherly Love

Frigga started by sending Fandral away to fetch Heimdall and up to three people he felt he could trust. Thor knew that Fandral would return with Sif and Volstagg as well, and was deeply regretful that Hogun could not join them, despite that clearly being Frigga’s intention. He feared that Frigga hoped that seeing his most trusted friends assigned to guard Jane would ease his worry, or at least make it difficult for Thor to express that worry without sounding like he was doubting his friends.

Which he didn’t! But he’d left Jane’s side and a mere two years later she was infected with the Aether. Thor had no intention of leaving her ever again.

With Fandral gone, he tried to make that point clear to his mother.

“I have given Jane my oath to see her protected. I am bound to see to her safety.” It was mostly true – despite perhaps not saying it aloud in those precise words, Thor felt this duty as dearly as he felt his duty to his kingdom and his family. “You cannot ask me to abandon that pledge to chase after Loki.”

“Come, Thor,” Frigga admonished. “Have a little trust in your mother. You’re the only one we can send after your brother, especially considering the state he’s in. But I wouldn’t leave your lady defenceless.”

“Not leaving her defenceless is not the same as having her protected by me!” Thor protested.

Jane raised her hand. “If anyone’s wondering, I’d rather stick with Thor.”

“That’s nice, dear,” Frigga said gently. Thor wanted to tear his hair out in frustration – it was so like his mother to refuse to argue while also refusing to budge from her position.

The doors opened and Fandral swept in with Heimdall, Sif, and Volstagg trailing behind him as Thor had expected. “Your Majesty, we have returned.”

“Fandral, thank you!” Frigga swept past Thor, unconcerned with his ire, smiling at Fandral and Sif and Volstagg but stopping in front of Heimdall. “I was worried Odin might have called you to his war council.”

“We face an enemy that is invisible even to me. What use is a guardian such as that, My Queen?”

Heimdall sounded resigned, which made little sense to Thor. Since even before Thor was born, Heimdall had been stationed at the bifröst observatory, the Eternal Guardian, as much a fixture of Asgard as the Allfather himself. He had never once wavered in his duty, never once faltered or balked from the endless task of watching over the Nine Realms, their first line of defence.

How could the loss of his purpose, his driving force, make Heimdall anything less than furious?

Frigga seemed to understand it better, reaching out to cup Heimdall’s cheek. “You have a great deal of use, Good Heimdall. I will have need of your help.” She looked around at the others. “I will need help from you all.”

“You have it, of course, Your Majesty,” Sif said immediately. Behind her Volstagg nodded vigorously.

Frigga beckoned Jane and Thor to her side. “What I’m about to ask of you is treason of the highest order. I can offer you the protection of my station, of course, but I won’t hide that what I ask of you will be going against the Allfather’s wishes.”

Thor perked up.

“Asgard is no longer safe for Lady Jane. Malekith knew the Aether was here, he can sense its power now that it’s been freed, else he would have searched out its last resting place or started his search in Midgard. As Heimdall has mentioned, Asgard is all but defenceless against the cloaking technology and our shield are down. If we do nothing he will come for the Aether again, but this time lay waste to all of Asgard.”

“Then what do you suggest, Allmother?”

“We must move Jane offworld,” Thor said. “Loki has disappeared–”

“He _what_?” Volstagg interrupted, looking sincerely disturbed. “How?”

Fandral also looked upset. “Did he betray you yet again, Thor?”

“No! Well, maybe a little, but mostly no.” Thor shook his head. “That’s not the point. Father has ordered me to chase after him, and believes he has gone to Svartálfaheim.”

“He has,” Heimdall said. “I’ve seen glimpses of him as he travelled. He has stopped on the Dark World for now.”

Frigga looked pleased. “Well, then. We may be able to kill two birds with one stone. Malekith requires the Aether, and will hunt it down no matter where it resides. This way we can control the conditions in which he finds it. Knowing that what I propose will go against the Allfather’s wishes and carries its own risk, do I have your support?”

Even Thor hesitated. It went against everything he was to betray his father, even if that was what he’d more or less planned from the moment Odin refused to let him protect Jane. But it was one thing to confront his father face-to-face and another entirely to sneak around behind his back. What Frigga was asking of them was to turn traitor the way Loki might have, in secret, without honour.

Thor’s answer was still ‘yes’. He needed to protect Jane, and was willing to give up even his pride for that. But he couldn’t ask his friends for the same sacrifice. And Heimdall…

“You have my sword,” Heimdall pledged, kneeling to his queen.

Sif followed suit immediately. “And mine.”

Fandral and Volstagg shared a look and a shrug before Fandral knelt as well. Volstagg bowed. “And my axe, of course.”

“Thank you, my friends,” Thor said, drawing Jane closer to his side. “What are your plans, Mother?”

“They’re fairly simple, my son, and follow your fathers wishes as closely as they can. After all, I may be a queen and mother, but I still have duties and responsibilities as a wife.”

True, but Frigga wasn’t called the ‘Allwife’. Thor smiled; she was doing this as the Allmother, as his mother. She was doing this for him.

His smile faded as he realized something else.

She was likely also doing this for Loki.

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

“Ouch! That pinches.” Jane squirmed as Frigga adjusted her shoulder guards, meeting Sif’s eyes over Frigga’s shoulder. “How do you wear this every day?”

Sif offered her a sympathetic smile. “It’s only for battle. And hunts. And when I’m on duty. Or training.” She shrugged. “Sometimes I wear dresses.”

“Only when I send a platoon of servants to force you into them,” Frigga said.

Sif just shrugged again. “The armour is well-balanced. You just have to keep your shoulders back and your chin up.”

“Like this?”

It was, admittedly, a little gratifying to see Sif, the stoic warrior woman, trying desperately not to laugh. Frigga gently adjusted Jane’s stance, nudging her heels slightly apart, pushing her shoulders down from where Jane hand hunched them up, bringing her chin down to just above level. Jane grinned sheepishly, realizing how ridiculous she must have looked. “Better?”

“Better,” Sif said, having managed to school her expression. “Here.” She tossed Jane one of the guards’ helmets. “You’ll have to wear this.”

It was definitely too big. But Jane really looked nothing like Sif and there weren’t too many woman warriors walking around Asgard. “I’m sorry you have such a boring part to play in this.”

“I’m not,” Sif said. “If things go poorly, we might have to fight against the Allfather’s guards. I’ve already made enough enemies just by succeeding where they failed. I’m not eager to make more.”

Jane knew exactly what she was talking about. Even in undergrad, she’d ticked off enough male colleagues by beating the curve to know how hard it was to balance on the edge of being taken seriously and being seen as a threat. Frankly, she wasn’t particularly good at it, and choosing to explore the potential of Einstein-Rosen bridges had kept her nestled comfortably on the not-taken-seriously side. At least it had until the attack on New York and the realization that wormholes were very real and very potentially dangerous. What little honest funding Jane had managed to earn before then had immediately dried up and gone to more serious, more male, physicists. S.H.I.E.L.D. had kept its promise and made sure she had just enough money to keep working outside of the U.S., but Jane knew that was only because of her ties with Thor. It had been quite a blow to her ego, and at least as responsible for her taking a ‘break’ from her studies as her abandonment issues.

Jane winced. She’d thought she was over all that, but it still stung.

Frigga placed the helmet over Jane’s head. “There. You’re done.”

“Do I look like a warrior?” Jane asked, careful not to touch the pommel of the sword sheathed by her side.

“Not really. Do I look like a scientist?” Sif asked, doing a turn in the simple gown Jane had been wearing and the veil Frigga had adorned her head with to disguise her recognizable black hair. She looked lovely, but honestly…

“No, not really,” Jane said, grinning. “Are you sure this will work?” she asked Frigga. “I mean, Sif and I don’t really look anything alike…”

Frigga tsked. “No one will be checking, and even if they do they’ll see what they expect to see. Sif has been seen in these halls for centuries, and few warriors have any expectations of ‘Thor’s mortal woman’. We’ll still try to keep you both as far from prying eyes as we can, but at a glance you’ll pass.”

That was a nice thought. Jane had thought herself rather frumpy, even in her Asgardian clothes, compared to Sif’s natural grace and restrained power. Actually, compared to Eir and the gentle healers, and Frigga’s own regal bearing, Jane had been having a lot of self-image issues since arriving in Asgard. The way Thor looked at her had done a lot to ease them, but she could tell that there were real differences between Asgardians and Midgardians, differences that were less than flattering to Midgard. Knowing that she could pass, however barely, for Sif in her armour made Jane feel pretty good about herself.

Of course, none of that changed the fact that she could already feel the armour weighing her down, like a heavy coat in winter.

“It won’t be for long,” Frigga said, as if she could read Jane’s thoughts, or at least her sagging shoulders. “Bear with it a while longer and it’ll be over.”

They joined the men and Jane was even more gratified to see Thor’s eyes light up when he saw her, clearly appreciative. She did a little curtsey thing with Sif’s cloak and felt a warm rush of accomplishment when Thor’s friends started laughing outright rather than being resentful of her presence in Asgard and what it was forcing them to do. Thor might have thanked them, and they might be doing this for him, but Jane knew this was all because she’d somehow accidentally unleashed the Aether.

And here she’d always thought she’d eventually get in trouble for _intentionally_ messing around with things beyond mortal ken.

“My dear Fandral, I fear that with two Ladies Sif we may soon be outnumbered,” Volstagg bellowed with great cheer.

Fandral leered at Jane too overtly for it to be anything but comical. “I cannot imagine a better fate, my friend.” Sif, who had moved beside him while Volstagg was speaking, slapped Fandral upside the head, which he took in good cheer.

Thor ignored them all and moved to stand in front of Jane. “You look… ah, this is a good look.”

Jane beamed, remembering how he’d looked when she’d first said that to him. “Thanks. Better than the dresses?”

“Indeed. Perhaps not as fitting as your scarves and jeans, but suitable nonetheless.” Thor’s smile turned serious. “Jane, are you comfortable with this? If there were any other way…”

“Neither your father nor your tool of a brother were able to get this thing out of me,” Jane reminded him. “Malekith is the only chance we have. And if there’s any chance that Loki will either be on our side or be something of a distraction, we have to take this opportunity.”

Frigga rested a hand on Thor’s shoulder. “I won’t ask you to have faith in your brother, Thor. Indeed, I hardly know if he will be able to see past his anger enough to realize that bringing darkness to the Nine Realms affects him as well. But I do believe that he will not be able to stand idly by and watch anyone harm you.”

“No, he likely wants that honour for himself,” Heimdall murmured. Jane was inclined to agree.

Thor shrugged. “Even so, I won’t count on his aid. The brother I trusted at my back is gone. What remains is the Trickster, and I am well versed in using his chaos for my own ends.”

“Be careful,” Sif said. Volstagg and Fandral nodded in agreement, while Heimdall looked like he didn’t think being careful would be enough. Jane was as uncomfortable with this as they were – all she knew of Loki was what Erik had told her about the legends (and, honestly, she had been far more interested in the stories of Thor) and what he’d done in New York. The ‘chaos’ seemed to apply, but there was none of the clever trickster that the legends spoke of in New York, just an egomaniac bent on world domination using nothing but brute force. And mind-control. Erik still hadn’t shaken off the full effects of what Loki had done to him.

Ooh, this was a _bad_ idea.

“If you can’t trust your brother, then trust in his self-interest,” Frigga said, and Jane found that not reassuring at all. “He loses far too much at Malekith’s hand to truly ally with him, and can still be reasoned with, if approached as an equal.”

Thor shook his head. “I have nothing to offer him. Even if he stopped Malekith single-handedly and saved the Nine Realms, I would not intercede with father for him, or ask for a lighter sentence. His actions on Earth, what he did to Jötunheim…”

“Matter not here,” Frigga reminded him. “One thing at a time. Now,” she pushed Thor forward gently, “go save your lady.”

“Yes, mother.”

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

Volstagg returned Sif to Jane’s room, using his girth to block her from the guards’ lines of sight. Meanwhile, flanking Jane with Fandral, Thor followed Heimdall to the bifröst.

“I will not be able to retrieve you after sending you to Svartálfaheim,” Heimdall said, “for I will be under arrest.”

Fandral sighed. “Are you _sure_ your honour requires me to turn you in? Surely we could just wait this out…”

“Fandral, every man must answer to his own sense of honour,” Thor said.

“And woman,” Jane added.

Fandral huffed a laugh. “It really _is_ like having Sif here.”

“Loki knows of secret passageways through the Realms, and the convergence only creates more,” Heimdall carried on as if no one had spoken. “If he is willing to return you to Asgard, then so be it. If not, then search out the weak areas between Realms. Malekith should be near one, as he also needs to leave the Dark World once he has the Aether.”

“I’d rather not rely on Loki,” Thor said darkly. “Fortunately, Svartálfaheim is a dead world. It should be simple enough to sense any one of the other eight Realms.”

They arrived at the observatory, and Jane wandered away from the group, looking out into the stars. “This never gets old.”

Heimdall’s eyes were warm as they watched her, and Thor realized once again how precious she was, and how much he was risking.

“I can’t ask you to watch over us from here, rather than from the dungeons?” Thor asked, knowing how futile even that question was.

Heimdall shook his head, transferring his fond look from Jane to Thor. “I wish I could truly guard and protect you both, as a matter of duty and as a matter of choice. But I have side-stepped the Allfather’s edicts before, allowing you and your friends and Loki to travel to Jötunheim after your failed coronation, and that ended in disaster. I cannot deny you or the Allmother your reasonable request, especially as it is not directly opposed to my orders – I was to send you after Loki, and I am. But I would be lying to myself and my king if I didn’t admit that I knew I was disobeying his wishes. And a guardian can’t simply disobey his king without swift consequences.” He shrugged. “Besides, I am all but useless as a watcher against the Dark Elves and against Loki. At least this way, I serve a purpose.”

“And I thank you for it, truly,” Thor said. “I am… grieved that you were placed in this position. My mother is far braver than I could ever be. I know not if I would have had the courage to come to you were I alone.”

“I think if there is one thing you are not lacking in, it is courage,” Heimdall said. “And loyal friends.”

Thor smiled. “True enough.” He clasped Heimdall’s shoulder and then joined Jane at the launching point.

Jane immediately grasped his arm. “Should I hold on like I did before?”

It wasn’t necessary, but it was nice. “Please.” He wrapped one arm around her shoulders, holding her more firmly that he normally would have been able to, without the protection of Sif’s armour. “Are you ready?”

“Ready.”

The rush of the bifröst coursed over them and they soared through the stars once again. Jane couldn’t help squirming in his hold as she tried to look at everything at once, her wonder and amazement just as strong as it had been their first time using the bifröst.

They landed on the side of a hill, under dark skies and on black stones. The world looked truly dead, as if all life had been cauterized from it, a world purified by fire. It was unnerving and disturbing, and the absence of life nagged at Thor’s instincts, telling him to flee.

Jane seemed far less disturbed. “Can you feel that?”

“What?”

“There’s something…” She pulled away from Thor and started climbing up the mountain, rocks shifting and falling under her feet as she rose.

Thor took out Mjölnir and followed her, still unnerved. “Jane, what are you sensing?”

“Something… I don’t know. A pull. It’s strong.”

“Is it the Aether?”

Jane stopped. “Yes. Oh, ew, yeah it is.” She shuddered. “Gross. I really want this out of me.”

“Indeed.” Thor moved in front of Jane, protecting her. “But if there’s something pulling on the Aether then Malekith must be close.”

“Malekith or Loki,” Jane said. “I know it seemed like he didn’t do anything, but _something_ happened when he tried to take the Aether from me.”

That was not as reassuring to Thor as it might once have been.

“It’s close,” Jane said, her voice wavering. Thor pressed her down and peeked over the edge of the hill.

Loki was the first thing he saw, the gold of his armour shining dully amidst the dull and dark surroundings. He was surrounded by Dark Elves in their bone war masks and facing Malekith, who seemed less than impressed by the red glow in Loki’s hand.

“I can trace the Aether already without your aid,” Malekith was saying. “In fact, this pitiful scrap is nothing more than a distraction to my own senses.”

“It’s more of the Aether than you possess,” Loki pointed out. “And enough to power my own magic as far as I need it to.” Indeed, although attempting to affect indifference, Malekith’s eyes kept returning to the faint glow. “I have this theory, you see, that you require the Aether at the precise moment of the apex of the convergence. Otherwise you may get a Realm, even two if they’re close, but you’ll never get all nine.”

Malekith snorted. “Then why are you here? You could be back in Asgard, extracting the rest of the Aether from that mortal.”

“The Allfather would never let me keep or use any of it, and even I need _some_ time to study something as complicated as the Aether in order to use it properly and safely.” Loki smiled. “However, _you_ seem to know how to use it well enough, and your ends more or less align with my own.”

“Your ends?”

Loki shrugged. “Asgard’s destruction, Odin’s death, the expected. I find that being imprisoned for months has focused and refined my goals. I want very little other than that – my life and my freedom.” He eyed Malekith’s Arc ship. “I assume you have other vessels suitable for interstellar travel?” Malekith nodded. “I will require one of those in return for this piece of the Aether and the vessel containing the rest of the Aether. Like calls to like, Malekith.” He smirked. “In fact, just by holding this small piece of it, I can sense the rest of the Aether.”

“From across the Realms?” Malekith asked dubiously.

Rather than answer, Loki raised his hand and the weak glow seemed to pulse. “Do we have a deal?”

Malekith nodded placed his hand over Loki’s. The moment he touched the Aether, Malekith whirled around and gestured with his free hand. Thor cried out as Jane’s body levitated from the ground, as if lifted by thousands of tiny strings or the will of one madman, only to be repulsed by the Aether’s power when he tried to grab her. She was silent and still as she rose, her eyes wide open and dark, with pale irises – dark elvish eyes. Loki had said that Jane had two or three days, but that may have been optimistic. The Aether was already changing her, protecting her from Thor’s grasp, pulling her towards Malekith. Thor scrambled to his feet, brandishing Mjölnir and racing across the rocky ground towards Jane.

He’d forgotten about Loki.

Malekith had been completely open; guarded by his Dark Elves, he’d ignored Thor in favour of focusing on Jane. Thor’s attention, in return, was focused on Malekith, on stopping him from taking Jane, any plan of having him remove the Aether completely forgotten in the rush of panic over how vulnerable and open Jane looked while under his power. Thor roared a challenge and hoisted Mjölnir over his head, charging towards Malekith with everything he had, ignoring the glint of silver out of the corner of his eye that turned out to be a dagger, thrown by Loki, at Thor’s wrist.

Normally, Thor would have shrugged off such a minor wound, but the dagger was enchanted to expand as soon as it hit its target. Loki’s aim had been true, and rather than merely sticking out of Thor’s arm, as any normal dagger would have, this one sliced off his entire hand, Mjölnir and all, and cauterized the wound with magic.

The pain was excruciating. Thor fell to his knees, roaring in injured rage, Loki’s cruel laugh ringing in his ears. Through the haze of pain, Thor could see Jane’s body contort, her arms flying open and a dark red mist started seeping from her pores. He reached for Mjölnir with his left hand, pushing through the agony to fight for his lady, only to have his attention shattered as Loki kicked him under his jaw, throwing his head back and flinging him head-over-ass away from Jane.

“Patience, you great fool,” Loki hissed. Thor was far too wrapped up in his rage and pain to pay attention, but even he could tell that it was too late.

Malekith had pulled almost all the Aether from Jane’s body. It coalesced in a malevolent cloud with tendrils reaching out towards Malekith, towards their new master.

Her use fulfilled, Malekith let Jane drop to the ground unceremoniously, her limp body laying there motionless but not dead, as the Aether that had once infected and endangered her hovered over her still form, finally separated and isolated from her.

As Thor stared, Malekith started taking the power of the Aether into himself. Thor called Mjölnir to himself in a burst of will, determined to at least fix what he could, Loki be damned. Mjölnir came eagerly, already charged with Thor’s rage, and Thor thrust out at the Aether, giving everything he had into the blast. The power that coursed through him was fuelled by anger and pain, but also a deep sense of desperation and duty. He’d battled countless foes, his brother included, but hadn’t ever directly confronted something as devastating as the Aether. Even his life would be a reasonable price to stop it.

His life. Not Jane’s.

And, at first, it seemed like he wouldn’t even have to pay that price. The blast of pure power from Mjölnir took the Aether mist and coalesced it into red shards, a far more tangible substance. Even if it wasn’t destroyed, it would certainly be more manageable in this form. When the dust cleared Thor could see Loki, crouching protectively over Jane, staring with wide eyes at the fragments, no doubt imagining what he could do with them.

Malekith stood within the shards, and Thor felt a rush of victory. Jane was alive and free, the Aether was useless, and now all Thor had to do was fight a monster. And he was _good_ at that.

But then Malekith stepped forward and the shards shuddered and rose off the ground, coming alive again. Mjölnir was depleted and Thor felt weakened himself, unable to do more than watch as Malekith drew the Aether into himself.

“Unfortunate,” Thor heard Loki mutter before shoving Jane down the hillside and out of range. Malekith looked up at him and smiled, his eyes a deep wine red, his teeth sharp and hungry.

“You thought your treachery would go unnoted?” Malekith demanded. “When I could _smell_ the death of Algrim the Kursed from your wretched hide?”

Loki gave a slight shrug. “I was hoping you wouldn’t particularly care.” Malekith made a disgusted sound and gestured impatiently towards Loki before striding towards the Arc ship with half his Dark Elves.

The other half attacked Loki.

Thor didn’t even hesitate. Whether Loki had been playing Malekith for the betterment of the Nine Realms or whether he had earnestly just wanted to escape and cared nothing for anyone else, Thor’s focus had to remain on Malekith. The horrors that the Aether could unleash were unthinkable and Thor had to find some way to stop him.

He left Loki battling with the Dark Elves and launched himself towards Malekith. His right hand was gone, but he could still fight with his left. He’d never taken to carrying a shield in any case, and he was a warrior, adaptable if nothing else.

Within three strides of Malekith, however, was as close as Thor could get before Malekith raised an arm and almost casually blasted him away with the power of the Aether. Without Mjölnir, Thor had no chance. Even with Mjölnir’s power, Thor suspected he was overmatched. Three of the Dark Elves broke free from Malekith’s retinue and managed to keep Thor busy long enough for Malekith to escape.

By the time Thor had dispatched his opponents, Loki was also finished with his. They stood on either side of the battlefield, staring at each other, neither eager to make the first move. Thor’s right arm ached, a ‘gift’ from his brother, and Loki looked as if he hadn’t slept in days, his eyes wild and panicked.

Then he ran.

Thor shouldn’t really have been surprised. Loki almost _always_ ran if he felt he had a choice. Pain and exhaustion and the disappointment of failure were all shoved aside as Thor took off after his brother, flying through the air with Mjölnir held aloft, but unable to control his landing with his left arm as deftly as he usually did with his right.

Which left him perched astride Loki’s prone form, his brother wriggling futilely under him as Jane ran up towards them.

“Thor!”

“Jane!” Thor placed Mjölnir carefully between Loki’s shoulder blades and rose up to embrace his lady. “You are well?”

“Yes, fine now. How about you?” Jane squirmed out of Thor’s hold and raised his right arm. “Your hand…”

Thor shrugged. “Warriors have continued fighting with greater wounds. My own father lost an eye fighting the–” Thor belatedly remembered Loki’s presence and cut himself off with a cough. “It will be well enough in time, as I accustom myself to using my left.”

Loki started laughing. Jane looked down at him, clearly worried, but Thor knew that if there was one thing that could always keep Loki in his place, it was Mjölnir. “What’s so amusing, brother?”

“Ugh. There is no way such a moron is any brother of mine,” Loki muttered. Thor frowned, but before he could say anything Loki made a gesture and Thor’s right hand returned, intact and useable. “Why would I have taken your arm when I could have had your head?”

Thor laughed in delight, amazed at the skill of his brother’s magic, and delighted at the restoration of his fighting power. True, he’d been resigned to one hand, philosophical about loss in any battle, but obviously it wasn’t desirable.

All humour faded from Thor’s face as he realized that he’d had his right hand this whole time. “Malekith escaped because of your deceit!”

“Oh really? You think he wouldn’t have overcome you as effortlessly as he did had you wielded Mjölnir with your right?”

Perhaps not, after all Mjölnir had been depleted from its attack on the Aether and Thor had been worn out himself. Dominant hand or no, Thor was likely outmatched by this power that had cowed even his grandfather.

Fortunately, Thor didn’t have to admit that, as Jane tugged on his cape. “He’s gonna unleash it. Not just on Asgard or on a star. Malekith is going to destroy everything.”

“What?” Thor asked, as Loki spoke over him. “How do you know, woman?”

Jane shot Loki a glare, but answered his question. “When he took the Aether from me, it showed me a vision. I saw him on Earth. Why would he go to Earth?”

“The convergence,” Loki said half a beat before Thor could. “Midgard is the center of the Nine Realms. It is the only location from which Malekith can be assured of destroying _everything_.”

“We must leave for there at once,” Thor decided.

Loki shrugged and, with Mjölnir weighing down his back, it made his head dip a little. “Good fortune with your endeavours.”

“You should come.”

“Only for the opportunity to plant a dagger in your back.”

Thor lost his temper. “Why must you be like this!? You defended Mother and Jane, then lied about being able to extract the Aether and ran off, then bartered with Malekith, then set me up to oppose him, betraying everyone at once! Why can you not simply be consistent?”

“Consistency is the refuge of the simple-minded, Thor,” Loki said, unmoved. “Besides, weren't you the one who tried to kill all the Frost Giants one day, then returned to save them three days later?”

“Do you truly want to have an argument about _that_ , Loki?”

“Why do we have to argue at all?” Jane asked. “There’s a crazy elf out there with unthinkable power who plans to destroy everything we know. Can we just focus on that?”

Thor took a deep breath. “You are still serving your sentence for your crimes, Loki. I will not minimize the losses you’ve caused by freeing you early. We will return you to Asgard and then deal with Malekith.”

“Do you have time for that?” Loki asked, turning towards Jane with a smirk. “You know, you’ve seen it. Even your dull Midgardian senses must resonate after carrying the Aether for so long.”

Jane looked uncomfortable, even apologetic. “He’s right, Thor. We don’t have time to take him back. It might already be too late.” She bit her lip. “Also, I don’t know how to get to Earth from here.”

Thor knew how to sense the life from other Realms through the convergence, but he was as likely to lead them to Alfheim or Vanaheim than Midgard or Asgard. On the other hand…

“I do,” Loki said. He didn’t even sound smug. He didn’t have to.

They had run out of choices, and time was running out.

“Fine.” Thor lifted Mjölnir with his restored right hand and the back of Loki’s leather jacket with the other. “You will take us to Midgard then afterwards, the cell.”

“Or?” Loki asked, his feet dangling above the ground.

Thor didn’t want to harm Loki. He’d just started believing that perhaps his brother was still inside there, redeemable. “Or I will smite you here.”

Loki looked deep into Thor’s face, as if trying to read his bluff. Then he shrugged. “Agreed.”

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

The Aether was gone, Jane’s mind was clear, and she was getting _frustrated_ with the idiot brothers and their inability to hurry.

Maybe it was because they were centuries old, and hours and minutes were meaningless to them, but ‘it may already be too late’ really didn’t mean ‘spend several minutes arguing about the semantics of oaths’. Loki, she could somewhat understand – he barely cared about himself, never mind the rest of the known universe. But Thor…

“We really don’t have time for this, guys.”

“Swear it on Mother’s grave.”

Loki shrugged. “My mother may already be dead, and defiling her grave means little to me.” He smirked. “I’ll swear on the Allfather’s honour, though.” Thor shook him hard enough to make his teeth rattle.

“Fine, fine.” Loki had already offered to swear on Asgard itself, on his own life, and on the love he felt for his brother. Thor, understandably, had rejected all three. “I swear by the Norns themselves that I will lead you both to Midgard and then remand myself to your custody.”

Thor looked stunned. “You…”

“The prison in Asgard is dull, Thor, but it’s hardly worse than being rent into nothingness. Or, of course, struck down by my own brother in this desolate wasteland.” Loki looked so pitiful in that moment that even Jane’s heart felt a twinge.

Thor gently lowered Loki to the ground and released him, before smacking the back of his head. “Stop that.” Loki’s face returned to its usual resting state of smug boredom, and Jane felt played, even though she hadn’t done anything but feel momentarily sorry for him.

Loki led them to a cave. If nothing else, it was out of the dusty wind and Jane could appreciate that. It took her eyes a moment to adjust, and then she had to blink a few more times to be sure of what she was seeing.

“Is that a… soccer ball?” In fact, as she looked around, she could see hundreds of Midgardian ‘relics’ – mostly shoes, pop cans… “My keys! This is the same portal that Darcy and I found in England.”

“Which makes sense, considering you were also the one who found the Aether,” Loki said, continuing through the cave. “It used to take finesse to move between worlds, but now even Midgardians can stumble through less-than-secret passageways.”

Thor laughed. “Worry not, brother. You have… other skills.”

As fascinating as the convergence was, to know that there were passageways that were stable was far more so. “Hey, your oath. You swore that you’d be remanded to _our_ custody, right?”

“That is accurate,” Loki said. “But I doubt you’ll be welcomed back to Asgard even for my retrial.”

Jane waved that away. “Never mind that. Before you go, though, I’m going to need to talk with you.”

Loki looked at her for a long moment, expressionless, before a large grin crept over his face. “I have killed thousands of your kind, and you push that aside for your own curiosity.” He laughed. “Ah, Jane Foster, you and your ilk will be the end of your species.”

Thor shoved Loki forward. “Find the portal, Loki. That is all we need from you.”

“Very well. Your Lady can barter with me for my services later,” Loki said, leering at Jane in an entirely unfriendly fashion. Jane shuddered, then Thor took her hand and they stepped out onto the abandoned warehouse where Thor had last returned to Midgard.

Jane’s car was still there, a little vandalized and worse for wear, but it started. Thor sat beside her while Loki took up the entire back seat.

“Where to now?” Jane asked, not expecting either brother to come up with an answer.

To her surprise, Loki had a suggestion. “I don’t suppose you’d have access to S.H.I.E.L.D. or Tony Stark.” Jane shook her head. “Then the only other mortal I can think of who would be of _any_ help would be Selvig.”

“Erik?” Jane asked, incredulous. “You brainwashed him and he hasn’t been seen since. What makes you think he’ll help you?”

“Not me,” Loki said as if she was an imbecile. “Thor. And you, and your world. _I’m_ certainly not having any part in that.”

Thor smirked, and it looked a lot more cheerful than Loki’s smirks. “We’ll see, brother. For now, however, we need a central base from whence to hunt down Malekith.”

“He’s probably not even here yet,” Loki muttered to himself.

Jane ignored him and shifted into reverse to pull out of the parking space. “Home base it is.”

The apartment (no, this was England, the _flat_ ) she and Darcy had rented to work out of was relatively small, even compared to some of the apartments Jane had stayed in while studying for her undergrad and postgrad degrees. But it was central and close to the University of Greenwitch and Jane kept most of her research in her office, taking home only the bits that she was actively working on. Even after Ian had joined them, there had been enough room.

Adding two 6-foot-plus Norse Gods to the mix would be interesting, though.

The first thing Jane saw when she opened her apartment door was Darcy at the computer, likely looking up gossip news or tumbling through itunes (or whatever the kids were doing nowadays) rather than doing science, but it was a welcome sight nonetheless.

Even more welcome was the way Darcy’s face brightened when she looked up, stunned and thrilled and, because she was Darcy, immediately vocal. “Jane! You’re okay! I mean… wow, look at you. All Xena Warrior Princess. Can you actually use that?” Jane looked down at the sword Darcy had focused on, a little embarrassed to admit she’d forgotten all about it when the bad guys had attacked. To be fair, she’d been deep in the grip of the Aether at the time, and it really had only been an accessory to sell her as Sif to any passer-by, but she maybe should have at least drawn it once.

Fortunately, Darcy was already moving on. “Never mind all that. The whole world is going crazy! All the stuff we saw is spreading, it’s everywhere now. Oh. Hey, Thor!”

“Lady Darcy,” Thor said, looking around the crowded flat. “It is a pleasure to see you again. And you as well, Erik Selvig.”

“Thor, Jane!” Erik stood from his work table, the pencil he had been gnawing on as he focused on his work falling from his lips. “How wonderful to see you both!” He swept Jane up in a hug. “Darcy tells me you’ve been to Asgard.”

Jane nodded, tightening her hold on Erik as if he was a lifeline. “We just got back. Where are your pants?”

“He says it helps him think,” Ian offered from off to the side as he just watched the proceedings. “Can I get anyone a cup of tea?”

“No thanks,” Jane said, secretly amused at how _British_ Ian was. She turned back to Erik. “I’m going to need everything you’ve got on this. All the work you’ve been doing on gravimetric anomolies, everything.”

No stranger to Jane’s fanatical work ethic, Erik just nodded. “Alright.”

Thor frowned. “Are you well, Erik?”

“Sure, sure!” Erik said, a little unhinged but nothing too off. His joviality fell as a thought occurred to him. “Your brother’s not coming, is he?”

“Hello, Selvig.”

Jane moved fast enough to stop Erik from launching himself at Loki. “Erik, stop, he’s not worth it!”

“He’s a–” Erik lapsed into his native tongue. Jane didn’t understand a word, but the tone and vitriol made it clear that Erik wasn’t being complimentary.

Loki looked speculative at one point. “Perhaps. After all, I have no real idea who my mother is, and I’ve been known to be fairly adventurous.”

“Oh, ew,” Darcy said, immediately latching onto the implication of _that_. “Thor, we don’t really have to deal with your psycho brother, do we?”

Thor didn’t look pleased. “I’m afraid we do.” Loki looked insulted and impressed at the same time. Jane felt a migraine starting to develop.

“I will not,” Erik said, finally calmed down enough to speak English. “I refuse to work with _that_.”

“Then perish,” Loki said, shrugging apathetically.

Thor rolled his eyes. “Erik Selvig, I swear to you, by the Great Tree, you have my protection.”

“It’s like you’re _daring_ me to hurt him,” Loki muttered. Thor, not even looking at him, brandished Mjölnir in his face. Loki huffed. “ _Fine_. It’s not like I actively care one way or the other.”

“Behave yourself, brother,” Thor said. Loki gave an ‘innocent’ smile and raised his hands in a peaceful gesture that no one believed for a second.

“Loki. Like ‘New York Loki’?” Ian asked nervously.

Jane sighed. “Erik, put on some pants, please.”

It was going to be a long night.


	5. Manipulation Leads to Happy Families. Sorta.

Malekith’s ship moved more slowly than the portals created by the convergence, but he would arrive well before the peak. Loki looked out of the window of the small flat and considered escape routes. Nidavellir was likely to have at least one interstellar spacecraft, and Loki had always had fun bartering with dwarves. After all, if the Nine Realms were destroyed by the Aether, no one would be alive to come after him this time.

The idea had some merit, but even Loki had to admit to some attachment to the Nine Realms. Outside their sphere of influence lay the Chitauri, the Skrulls, the Kree Empire, Thanos…

No. Even an Asgardian dungeon would be preferable to that.

Also, all his stuff was here.

Still, he couldn’t help but roll his eyes as Thor earnestly explained what to do if Odin sent soldiers from Asgard. Loki could have told him that he was wasting his time; Odin was far more likely to be looking for ways to protect Asgard, leaving Midgard and his son(s) to perish.

The less uncharitable part of Loki knew that, while he was likely correct, it was more that with Heimdall a verified traitor, Asgard already weakened, and with Frigga potentially working against him, Odin would have little to offer in aid. Anything he did now would undermine Thor and, if the Nine Realms survived this convergence, Thor was to be Asgard’s next king. Loki might have mocked Odin, saying that he had hobbled his heir, but interfering now truly could weaken Thor’s rule to the point of civil war.

The long game. Frigga had reminded Loki to play it. He used to be so skilled at it – befriend a Frost Giant guard, hint that Thor’s coronation would leave the treasury thinly guarded, lead the guard to the secret pathway back to Asgard… It used to be so easy, so diverting, so fun.

Now it was a headache. Loki wanted to go home.

Not back to Asgard, where Thor had already promised (threatened) to bring him. Back to before the coronation, back to being Thor’s brother, Odin and Frigga’s son, Asgard’s prince. The prison cell and derision from the guards was hardly home. At the very least, Loki would need to have his chambers and his dignity back. But that seemed almost as impossible as winning this war with these pitiful ‘allies’.

They had finally figured out that the convergence would center in Greenwitch, something Loki could have told them just by closing his eyes and opening himself up to the powers that flowed around them. But they had more faith in their ‘math’ and ‘patterns’ than in someone who had walked between worlds even without the convergence’s aid. So untrusting…

Erik was hovering over a pile of metal rods, speaking with the darker-haired women about their use. Loki tuned them out, already certain that they would be placing them around the convergence site, creating a gravitational reversal. It was pointless; the convergence was the culmination of five thousand years of energy distortions and anomalies, a giant reset for the entire Nine Realms, to bring them back to their original relative levels of entropy and enthalpy. It was a balancing act between all nine worlds, and they planned to disrupt it with a few sticks on a single site.

No wonder Thor adored these Midgardians. They were as foolish and arrogant as he was. Well, as he had been.

“Do you understand, Darcy?” Selvig asked. The woman, Darcy apparently, nodded. “Right. Jane, we’re ready to go.”

“Alright, everyone pile in.” Jane hesitated, although in general she seemed more in control and calm now that she was in her Midgardian clothing. “Thor, what are we going to do about…”

Everyone turned to Loki, who quickly put on the most innocent and appealing expression he had. None of them looked impressed, ingrates.

“Loki will be coming with us,” Thor said.

There was a flurry of protests from the Midgardians, which Loki silently seconded. He didn’t want Malekith to destroy the Nine Realms, from a purely mercenary standpoint, but neither did he want to take on the role of unsung hero. He’d had quite enough of that while ‘adventuring’ with Thor and his friends.

Jane, oddly enough, remained silent while her friends protested. Loki had a moment to wonder if he’d accidentally charmed her during their time on Asgard when she raised her hands for silence. “Thor’s right. We can’t just leave him here.” She looked at Loki’s displeased expression and smiled. “Who knows what mischief he’d get into.”

Wench. She knew he didn’t want to come and that was reason enough in her mind to force the point. Loki forced an amiable expression on his face. “I believe I’ve behaved quite well since arriving on Midgard.”

“You sulked the whole time,” Darcy pointed out.

Loki inclined his head. “True. But isn’t that, relatively, behaving myself?”

“I hate that you have a point,” Darcy’s young man groused. Loki decided not to bother learning his name.

“This way we can keep an eye on him,” Jane said to Selvig. “I know you don’t trust him, I don’t either. Which is _why_ he has to come.”

“Fine,” Selvig said, admitting his loss gracelessly. “Then he can ride in the back.”

There was barely enough room for Loki and all the metal rods. He considered blasting them to smithereens, or melting them together, but he didn’t want to give Thor an excuse to vent his anger on him. He rode uncomfortably until they arrived at the University complex and parked, then waited for them to open the rear doors and let him out.

And waited. And waited.

Well, now this was just petty. Time was still of the essence, and they decided to waste it playing mind games. With _him_. Of all the foolish…

Darcy opened the doors and Loki glared at her, refusing to show a weak eagerness to leave the confines of the vehicle. She ignored him.

“Alright, team metal rod things. We have to hammer these in all around the site, and then Jane and Erik will activate them from the tower.” Darcy and her boy started unloading the rods, making them shift uncomfortably under Loki until he scrambled out of the van.

Thor looked away, and Loki _knew_ he was laughing at him. A quick scan of the area and Loki found Jane and Selvig moving towards the library with some equipment, both of them away from Loki’s potential abuse. And they were his easiest targets. Thor just shrugged off Loki’s insults as if they were beneath him, and Loki knew nothing of Darcy and this other Midgardian, not even his name.

“I’ll leave you to it, then,” Thor said, once he got himself under control. “I will patrol the area for any sign of Malekith.”

Loki very nearly snorted; the Ark ships had cloaking technology that hid them from even Heimdall’s sight. What was Thor planning on looking for? Before he could say anything, however, Thor turned to him. “Guard the others, Loki. I will return for you.”

Loki bit his tongue and nodded, eager to have Thor out of his sight. The magic of the convergence was revving up to new heights, and it was beginning to get under Loki’s skin. How these mortals could abide it was beyond him. Thor hesitated, then strode off like the heroic prince he was.

“Hey, baby bro, little help?” Darcy called out. It took Loki a moment to realize she was addressing him, and he responded simply with an unfriendly look. “…oooor not.” Darcy sighed. “I guess it’s just you and me, Ian.” Ian. That was the boy’s name. She piled several more rods into his arms. “Let’s go.”

For lack of anything better to do, Loki trailed after them. Ian was just hammering the first rod into the ground when the water behind them started rippling unnaturally. For a moment, Loki thought it was just the effects of the convergence, until the waves formed around the absence of a shape that fit a Dark Elvish ship’s prow perfectly.

“Cloaking technology and they decide to travel through water.” Sometimes Loki couldn’t believe how stupid other people were.

“What the…” Darcy turned, her eyes widening. “Oh, _shit_.” She grabbed Ian and ran. Loki grabbed the rod and followed them, resisting the urge to break into laughter. Running and panicking and flailing; now _this_ felt like a plan Thor had come up with.

The cloak fell and the Ark ship faded into sight. It was an impressive sight, as it tore up the ground like a hot knife through butter. Loki couldn’t help but feel a little regretful that his plan on Svartálfaheim hadn’t worked. He’d have been out of the Nine Realms and Malekith would have walked right into Thor and Odin’s hands. “All I wanted was one of those. Was it too much to ask for?”

“Come _on_ , we have to get these rods set up!” Darcy snapped.

It was amusing, how focused these mortals were on the small tasks that filled their lives before their inevitable deaths. Then again, didn’t that basically describe their entire existence?

Ian hammered another rod into the ground and followed Darcy to the next site. Loki trailed behind at a more leisurely pace, watching the Ark come to a complete stop and let Malekith and several of his Dark Elves out. He sensed Thor before he saw him, arcing through the air to land in front of Malekith and challenge him directly, just like a fool. Hadn’t Malekith already demonstrated that the Aether was more than a match for Mjölnir’s power?

Up in the tower, Jane waved to them as Ian hammered in another rod. She technically had the easier task, but she had made herself a target. Loki wondered if Thor’s orders included her and Selvig. Probably, and the last thing Loki needed to be was foresworn. He gestured and a double appeared behind Jane and Selvig, making her gasp and him shriek. At the very least, it would allow Loki to keep an eye on them. Also, their reactions were funny.

The sound of Thor’s battle with Malekith distracted Loki for a moment. His double had a perfect view of them, and it wasn’t going well. The Aether was chaotic and unpredictable, while Malekith shrugged off Thor’s lighting and stayed far out of the range of Mjölnir’s blows, transporting himself over short distances rather than dodging. Loki felt a momentary twinge of envy over such a blatant expenditure of energy during a battle. Truly, if he’d had the time to learn how to harness the Aether…

Ah well. Inherently destructive forces were often more trouble than they were worth.

“Loki, we need that last rod!”

Ugh. Shrill Midgardian woman. Loki tossed the rod over to Ian who immediately started hammering it into the ground, while Darcy shouted up to Jane that they were ready. Jane yelled at them to run and started fiddling with the dials on her contraption. Loki’s double peered over her shoulder and he understood a moment before she activated the rods what she planned to do.

It wasn’t about fighting against the convergence at all. They knew their limitations, these mortals, and worked within them. The rods were working _with_ the convergence, fine tuning the gravitational disturbances and creating short-lived pocket portals over a small range. Creative, and useful, but not likely to turn the tide of this war as long as Malekith had the Aether.

The rod activated, and everything within its scope vanished, transported somewhere else in the Nine Realms. Personally, Loki hoped for Muspellheim.

“That was _awesome_!” Darcy crowed. “Do it again.”

Loki wondered if they had considered the additive properties of each use and calibrated the machines properly. If they hadn’t…

…then Loki and the others would still be in range of the second activation.

“Brilliant.” At least they were still on Midgard, if the stench and concrete were any indication.

“Um… what the hell just happened?” Darcy asked.

A Dark Elf fell on a nearby car, either answering her question or distracting her enough to ignore it. “Move!” She grabbed Ian and pulled him out of the line of fire.

Loki was _done_ with this. Thor was fighting a losing battle, the best outcome of which would be his death taking long enough to distract Malekith past the convergences peak and allowing him to destroy only _some_ of the Nine Realms. The Midgardians were attempting their form of sorcery, using experimental and untested techniques and technologies against a very nearly unstoppable threat. And Loki was babysitting two inconsequential mortals rather than fighting or saving himself.

“Foolishness,” he muttered, drawing two short blades from their sheaths and wading into the oncoming rush of Dark Elves. Valhalla would likely be closed to him as a Frost Giant, no matter how he died, but he had his pride. And dying in battle was a better fate than returning to Thanos or being torn apart by the Aether. Not quite as good as returning to his cell in Asgard as he'd almost resigned himself to, but disappointing Thor was always an extra incentive to any plan.

As he slashed and hacked his way through Malekith’s henchmen, his double followed Jane and Selvig down from their tower, no longer able to watch Thor fight, but still able to hear it. They were on the ground floor when Mjölnir finally landing a blow, sending a shock wave rippling through the air and shattering the library windows.

Then they disappeared.

Loki dispatched the last Dark Elf and swore out loud. The convergence was nearing its apex, and he was potentially miles away from its center. He didn’t know Midgard nearly well enough to risk teleportation, and he still needed to protect those two idiotic…

Wait, where were those two?

Even in the rancid, polluted air of Midgard, Loki could always track prey that had passed by mere minutes before. He followed Darcy and Ian’s trail back to the University, which was a lot closer than he’d thought. The convergence was disrupting his senses. Thor hadn’t returned, but there were more Dark Elves, and Loki entertained himself by killing as many of them from a distance as he could before they noticed him and attacked him directly.

Darcy and Ian ducked for cover behind a vehicle while Loki fought, which was cowardly but probably fairly sensible. Loki had just dodged a blast from one of the Dark Elves’ weapons and narrowly missed being eaten by one of those Jötunn beasts he had encountered on his ill-fated excursion of Jötunheim. He hadn’t even considered that, how the convergence would allow those beasts and their masters to leave their frozen realm and make war once again.

Not that he cared one way or another. His days of being loyal to anyone or anything aside from his own interests were long gone.

The Dark Elves scattered and the beast bounded after some of them. Loki stared after it for a brief moment before hearing a resounding crash from where he’d left Darcy and Ian.

They were both standing in front of an overturned vehicle which had crushed three Dark Elves, staring at each other.

“Are you alright?” Ian asked.

“You saved my life,” Darcy said breathlessly.

Ian squared his shoulders and lifted his chin. “Yeah. I guess I did.”

Loki grabbed them both by their shirt collars before they did something ridiculous in the middle of a battle. “Celebrate later. We are still surrounded by enemies.”

“Hey, we nearly _died_ , no thanks to you! Thor told you to guard us, didn’t he? And you–”

Thankfully they were transported in the middle of Darcy’s rant and Loki was able to drop both mortals at the feet of Jane and Selvig. “Where is Thor?”

“Not here,” Jane said. “And we’re running out of time.”

Indeed, the convergence was beginning to visibly align in the sky. Malekith stood within a storm of Aether, preparing to unleash it upon the Nine Realms and return them to darkness. And Thor wasn’t here to stop him.

“You have to do _something_!” Jane demanded.

“What should I do?” Loki asked. “Your rods are far too weak to deal with this, and I am nearly as outmatched by the Aether as you are. At a certain point, one must recognize that there are no other options, that the only thing left to do is wait.”

“Bullshit,” Jane snapped, grabbing Selvig’s arm and pulling him towards the growing, swirling Aether. “There’s always one last thing.” She ran towards the Aether, gathering up her useless rods as she ran.

“So. We’re doomed?” Darcy asked. Loki nodded. “Then… can I make out with Ian now?”

Loki shrugged. “I fail to see why not.”

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

Thor stepped out of the subway and into a nightmare. He was too late, Malekith had already started the destruction of the Nine Realms, and he was helpless to stop him.

“Thor!” Jane ran up to him, Selvig trailing just behind her. “Your brother’s a dick.”

True enough, but not what Thor was focused on at the moment. Erik, panting a little, seemed to agree. “The convergence is at its peak.”

Thor noticed the rods that they had put so much faith into. “Can those things stop it?”

Erik shook his head. “Not from here.”

“We can’t get close enough,” Jane said. “We tried.”

Thor stared into the swirling morass of Aether, the tendrils that spread darkness throughout the Nine Realms. “I can.”

It felt like wading through crystal blood. The Aether stung like nettles and stank of decay, and the winds were powerful enough to push Thor back the moment he hesitated. He was bruised and battered from his battle with Malekith and falling through several of the Nine Realms, but he couldn’t let his aches and fatigue slow him down. He broke through to the eye of the storm, only to witness the last of the Aether leaving Malekith’s body to join the destructive maelstrom.

“Malekith!” Thor roared over the sound of the Aether eating away at the world, returning it to its primordial state of utter darkness.

Malekith turned, and smiled. “Darkness returns, Asgardian. Have you come to witness the end of your universe?”

He thought the battle was over. Thor grit his teeth, planting his feet and hefting one of the rods. “I’ve come to accept your surrender.” He launched the rod at Malekith, who caught it in his right arm.

Somehow, Jane seemed to know when the rod was in Malekith’s possession, because it activated, taking a chunk of Malekith’s right side with him. The second rod struck Malekith in his left shoulder and also activated, taking his other arm.

“You think you can stop this?” Malekith demanded, crazed. “The Aether is destruction itself! It cannot be destroyed.”

“But you can,” Thor said, holding the last rod aloft and running at Malekith. Malekith stood fast to confront him, meeting the attack head on. Thor felt Mjölnir smack into his right hand as he leapt to attack, hammering the final rod home deep in Malekith’s chest and blasting both of them back until Malekith slammed against the Ark ship. He snarled in rage and then disappeared.

The last thing Thor saw before losing consciousness was the Aether receding into the portal Jane had created. It was a little fuzzy, since he was well and truly stunned from the explosion from Mjölnir and the Aether, but it was enough that he let unconsciousness wash over him, content that his task was completed.

He awoke with Jane’s head on his chest, her body trembling in fear. “What happened?”

“Everyone okay?” Selvig asked, holding the portal-creating device. Thor looked around and saw only minor damage, cars overturned, windows shattered, some excessive landscaping. But there was no Aether, no Malekith, and no Ark ship.

Overall, a better situation that when he’d passed out.

Darcy and Ian were embracing, Loki was looking grudgingly impressed, and the convergence was ending. Thor sighed in relief and held Jane close, relaxing in the moment. He could ask everyone what had happened later. For now, he revelled in victory and in survival.

Loki strode towards them and, for a moment, Thor thought the fight wasn’t over. It was a terribly wearying thought. If he hadn’t had Jane and Darcy and Selvig to protect, he might have just let Loki have his way, but there was enough left in Thor to at least push Jane behind him and tighten his grip on Mjölnir.

But rather than attacking when Thor was at his weakest, Loki simply stopped in front of him and reached out his hand.

For a moment, Thor wasn’t sure what Loki was doing. It reminded him of their days as children and young men, sparring together and against each other, taking wins and losses with as much grace as they could muster, and always offering a hand to a fallen opponent. Loki was offering to help him up, to take some of the burden of Thor’s wounds on himself, to let Thor get what rest he could.

Thor hesitated a moment longer, wavering between responding with his left hand or dropping Mjölnir and reaching out with his right. In the end, it didn’t matter that Loki had stayed, had fulfilled his promise to protect Thor’s friends, hadn’t betrayed anyone. Thor still wasn’t able to trust himself enough to trust Loki. He raised his left hand and Loki grasped it and helped him stand.

“What now?” Loki asked neutrally.

Thor shook his head. “Normally, I would ask that we rest for a spell before returning to Asgard, but I fear our father’s wrath should we tarry.”

Loki, fortunately, didn’t bother denying that Odin was his father. “Then I remand myself to your custody, as promised.” He stepped back. “Say your farewells.”

This was oddly reminiscent of Thor’s first visit to Midgard, only even more rushed. “Lady Darcy, Master Ian, Erik Selvig. I am once again fully grateful to you for your services to Midgard, Asgard, and the Nine Realms entire.”

“Except for that sweaty place,” Darcy interjected. “After all, the Dark Elves were from there and they didn’t want to keep living.” She frowned. “Wow, space aliens are _messed up_.”

“Indeed.” Thor turned to Erik. “My brother has done you great harm. Asgard is doubly in your debt, for your actions today and in reparation of Loki’s actions towards you last year. Your name will be sung in Asgard’s halls, and your children and your children’s children will have my protection and the protection of Asgard once I am king.” Loki snorted. Thor ignored him and turned to Jane.

“I will return.”

Jane smiled, but it looked uncertain and false. “Sure you will.”

Thor took her tiny hands in his. “I _will_ , this I pledge. My father may not be the most tolerant Asgardian, but neither is he as hard and abrupt as he seemed when you first met. Without war on our doorstep, he will be far more willing to yield to my passionate pleas.”

“Have you _met_ the man?” Loki asked. “Yielding is hardly a word I’d use to describe the Allfather in any of his myriad moods.”

“Mother will help,” Thor assured Jane, continuing to ignore Loki. “She has taken a great liking to you.”

“I’m glad. Your mom’s kind of amazing,” Jane said, and her smile turned real. “I hope you do come back, Thor. I’ll wait.”

Thor kissed her. They had only had one night together, and had spent it plotting for the convergence. It was unfair, but that was reality. Thor had duties, Jane had her own life, and they could only try to meet halfway. That wasn’t going to stop Thor from pursuing her nor, it seemed, would it stop Jane from pursuing him. The bifröst was repaired, Midgard was open to the other Realms, and there was nothing stopping them, save for tradition and prejudice.

“Can we go now?” Loki asked. “I’ve already put in one complaint for cruel and unusual punishment, I’d hate to make it two.”

Jane pulled away, flushing but happy, and Thor winked at her. “Until later, My Lady.” He stepped back and reached for Loki who simply gave him the most powerful stink-eye Thor had ever seen. Thor let his hand drop to his side, and called up to Heimdall to take them home. It was a relief when the bifröst picked them up immediately. Apparently whatever punishment Odin had meted out for treason had either run its course or hadn’t called Heimdall away from his post.

There were guards waiting for them when they landed, Loki’s former chains and gag in their hands.

Loki took a step back, his eyes wide. “Thor…”

Thor stood between his brother and the guards. “There’s no need for this. I will bring Loki before the Allfather myself, you have my word.”

The guards exchanged looks and backed down. “We thought you’d say that, Prince Thor,” one of them said. “And, of course, we’ll abide by your wishes. If you wouldn’t mind, however, might we accompany you and the prisoner to forestall any… unexpected turns of events?”

A compromise. Thor could accept that. “With my thanks.” He gestured for Loki to walk first which he did, begrudgingly, but without hesitation.

The palace was still in shambles, although some of the debris had been cleared away. But the throne room itself had been completely restored, as if the invasion had never happened. Odin sat on the throne, Frigga at his right-hand side, both of them expressionless as Loki and Thor were marched in.

“You may go,” Odin said to the guards, and all four of them waited until they were alone.

Thor spoke first. “Father, no one knows Loki’s crimes better than I. Of all Asgard, I am closest to Midgard, very nearly alone in considering it precious and valuable.” Not that he was bitter about Jane’s reception in Asgard. Not at all. “Even the love I had in my heart for Loki when we returned with the Tesseract couldn’t move me to ask for clemency for his actions, for I knew he deserved none.” He paused, waiting for Loki’s scoff, and was caught a little off guard when it didn’t come. “But I ask for that clemency now. Loki’s bravery and cleverness were instrumental in saving the Nine Realms from Malekith. We may have triumphed without his aid, but the cost would surely have been higher.” The loss of Darcy, Selvig, even Jane would have been heartbreaking to Thor. “I know that good deeds cannot cancel out evil ones, but surely his actions now can weigh against the actions of his past.”

Odin didn’t look impressed. “Loki is not the only one on trial here, Thor. You stand accused of treason for disobeying the edict of your king.” Frigga shifted slightly, the only sign of her displeasure, but it was enough. “Perhaps you’d like to use some of that bleating begging for your own sake.”

 _Now_ Loki snorted. “Really, Allfather. Empty threats now? The Nine Realms entire witnessed Thor offering his own life to save them. He is their golden hero, even more so than when he’d gone off adventuring for glory and gold, since this quest was for neither. To imprison him or sanction him at all could cause uprisings in Vanaheim or Alfheim, even in Asgard itself. And as for Midgard, which I know you care little about, they have no love for Asgard save through Thor. You could lose your stranglehold over almost all of the Nine Realms in one fell swoop, which would be too high a price to pay, I think, even for your vanity.”

Thor chuckled. “And that’s why, even mad and unhinged, you made a better ruler than I, Loki.”

“Oh, I doubt _anyone_ would agree with you on that point,” Loki said.

Thor turned to the Allfather. “If you wish to be free to punish me for my transgressions, then I will offer that to you. I will abdicate my claim to the throne, disinherit myself, in return for Loki’s freedom.”

“Oh, Thor.” Loki shook his head. “That is _such_ a bad idea.”

“Indeed,” Odin said. “I’ve already lost one son to madness and evil. I won’t lose the other to blind faith.” He stood, pounding Gungnir on the floor to call in the guards. “Seize him.”

There were no convenient windows this time, and nowhere for Loki to run. Thor met his brother’s eyes and tried to show his regret and remorse wordlessly before he was taken away. Loki’s eyes, on the other hand, were calmer than Thor could ever remember seeing them.

And then one of the guards grabbed for Loki’s wrist and he dissipated into nothingness.

“…what?”

“A projection,” Frigga said gently. “Honestly, Thor, must you fall for the same tricks every time?”

Odin sighed as he sat back down on his throne, looking older than he had a moment ago. “Loki is inherently untrustworthy, Thor. What did he promise you?”

“To lead Jane and myself to Midgard and then remand himself to my custody.”

“But not to remain in your custody,” Frigga said, her lips curving upwards. “And you trusted his word enough not to bind him.”

Thor felt like a fool. But it helped that Frigga was more amused than worried by Loki’s deception. If she agreed with Thor that Loki deserved at least a second chance, then Thor’s foolishness was at least pointed in the proper direction.

“You are still too naïve to take the throne,” Odin said. “In your youth, it was your arrogance that blinded you. Now it is your optimism. You must find a balance, Thor, to become a strong leader.” He waved his hand. “Your friends and Heimdall will go free, as will you, as long as you continue to serve as protector to the Nine Realms and learn the lessons you will need to eventually take my throne.”

Odin had framed it as a punishment, but it sounded like the sweetest of rewards to Thor’s ears. “Truly? I mean… yes. I agree, of course. Thank you, father.”

“This is not a gift. It is an assignment. I hope you will finally meet my expectations, Thor.”

Thor bowed deeply and backed out of the throne room, knowing a dismissal when he heard one. As soon as he was past those thick doors, he turned and sprinted towards the bifröst.

He had a promise to keep.

OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO

“That went well,” Frigga said as soon as Thor was out of earshot.

Odin shot her a look. “You have a strange definition of ‘well’, woman.”

“You and Thor are still on speaking terms, you’ve made your disappointment in him clear, if not your pride,” Frigga shot Odin a look of her own and he wilted somewhat, “he is continuing to grow and mature, which is long overdue, and is likely on his way to Midgard to steel a few moments of happiness, which are also long overdue. I fail to see how that is anything but well.”

“You’re simply pleased that your plot worked out.”

Frigga laughed. “Of course I am! It was fraught with risk, but I know my sons. And, if anything, Jane has proven herself a noble partner for Thor by her actions and choices once the Aether was removed.”

“A Midgardian on the throne of Asgard…”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, dear,” Frigga said, patting Odin’s shoulder. “We have other things to deal with, remember?”

Odin made a soft noise of agreement, and stood. “You won this wager, and I’ll not be less ‘noble’ than Loki. I’ll follow my agreement to the letter.”

“Then let’s get started,” Frigga said.

They walked out of the throne room, arm-in-arm, and climbed the stairs to the royal chambers. Thor’s room lay empty, and likely would for some time while he was away on Midgard. Frigga and Odin’s rooms were either also empty, or occupied by servants cleaning and tidying. They walked past those without pause, only to stop before a door sealed not only with lock and key, but with layers and layers of spells.

Frigga waved her hand and the first layer of spells vanished, allowing the door to be opened and Odin to step over the threshold.

Loki’s chambers hadn’t changed since before he’d fallen from the bifröst. His clothes, books, amusements, and luxuries were all still present and accounted for, save for a select few enchanted items that could have aided in his escape. The view from the balcony was similarly unchanged, although the shields around the room blocked anyone from seeing in, and anything living or not from exiting.

Loki himself, however, was entirely changed, and it grieved Frigga’s heart. He looked battered and dirty and, rather than bathing as his old habits would have had him do, he sat in his filth staring out the window. His little escape and adventure with Thor seemed to have brought some of the old Loki back, some of the bright humour and sociable aspects of his personality. Gone forever, likely, were his burning desire to please others and his desperation to be accepted, but he no longer seemed to be driven by their opposites either.

Like Thor, Loki was growing into a man, and it was long overdue. What kind of a man remained to be seen, and Frigga hoped that one day they could at least build peaceful ties with that man, even if they could never be a family again.

Odin’s hopes were more simple. Loki was clever and subtle and strong enough in his own right. While he might never admit to them aloud, Odin regretted his mistakes with Loki, lying to him, raising him to hate what he was, even picking him up on that bloody day. Loki did nothing but complicate matters, and Thor would undoubtedly have been a better prince and a better king without his influence. But he was alive now, here and resentful and cruel. And that was the reality Odin had to deal with.

He didn’t want to have to execute Loki. Frigga and Thor had both convinced him that Loki was not an irreparable mistake. But he kept his expectations moderate – hoping only that Loki would not be a direct threat, or at least not one they couldn’t counter.

As if sensing the Allfather’s train of thought, Loki looked up and grinned. It looked tired and still a little crazy, but it wasn’t outright aggressive. “So soon? I would have thought Thor would have needed more coddling after my double’s disappearance.”

“He’s not as vulnerable to your duplicity as he once was,” Odin said, holding up his hand as Loki started to protest. “I know that you technically kept your word, but you certainly did try to fool him into thinking you were with him using your projection.”

Loki inclined his head. “The convergence was ending. The veil between the worlds was closing again, and it was just easier to leave as he was bidding his Midgardians farewell. He should have paid more attention.”

Odin laughed, the same laugh the same laugh that used to escape him when Loki had been mischievous and unrepentant and no harm had come to anyone, safe for some noble’s ego. Both he and Loki looked surprised by it, but Frigga merely smiled. “Thank you for coming home, Loki. I would have been terribly worried had you gone to any other realm.”

“Where would I go?” Loki asked, his smile wry and pained. The fallen prince of Asgard wasn’t exactly an unknown throughout the Nine Realms. He would have been welcome only by those who cared little for Asgard’s rule and, apart from Midgard, that would have meant seeking shelter with people who Loki had upset on more than a few occasions at Thor’s side. Like a fallen angel, welcome in neither Heaven nor Hell, Loki had returned to the one place that could never turn him away.

Still, his pride had balked at being brought here by Thor again. The compassion his brother had shown his double in refusing to have him chained and in walking beside him into the throne room wasn’t something Loki had been willing to wager on. He’d returned to Asgard on his own terms, in his own way, and had surprised the Allfather in doing so.

But not Frigga. He had never managed to surprise Frigga.

She smiled at them both and waved her hand, bringing up the orange barrier that blocked either of them from leaving.

“Remember, you have half an hour together, no more no less.” She smiled at Loki. “And then we’ll see you again tomorrow.”

Imprisoned in luxury, with his powers intact and important enough to rate the Allfather’s attention for a full thirty minutes a day. It wasn’t freedom, and it wasn’t power, but it was security and solace, and Loki felt that both were sorely needed.

And Frigga, bless her heart, never once told him or Thor or Odin that she told them so.


End file.
